A tense situation unfolded on US 60 near Mesa, Arizona, prompting the freeway's closure in both directions between Country Club Drive and Alma School Road. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the incident began when Mesa police received a call regarding a man armed with a knife who allegedly tried to kidnap a woman from an apartment complex on South Country Club Drive. Detective John Dreyer of the Mesa Police reported that the suspect had kicked in a door, seized a knife, and attempted to force the victim into a vehicle. The authorities tracked the vehicle that had left the apartment complex when they arrived and a pursuit ensued.
Officers engaged the suspect near the westbound on-ramp to US 60 at Alma School. "Officers attempted a pit maneuver to stop the vehicle, however, that was unsuccessful. The vehicle did, however, come to a stop just on the shoulder of the on-ramp," Dreyer explained. Escaping the vehicle, the suspect then ran across the southbound lanes of the US 60, with officers in pursuit. A FOX 10 Phoenix viewer captured the scene moments after, showing the suspect with his hands raised on the ground surrounded by officers.
During the chaotic cross-freeway foot chase, a shooting occurred involving Mesa officers after the suspect began reaching for his waistband, as detailed in a statement obtained by ABC15. Carlos Jimenez, a local food truck owner, who witnessed the scene, recounted to FOX 10, "I see the guy seeing the cop... he pulled his hands out when the other cops jumped on the freeway... and he put his hands up... they told him to probably stop. And he was doing what they were telling him, and they shot him, like three times."
No weapons were found on the suspect after the shooting. As a result of the incident, traffic along this stretch of US 60 ground to a halt, with the closure lasting several hours before the Arizona Department of Transportation announced its reopening early in the morning of August 11. The suspect, a 37-year-old man, was struck at least once by gunfire and was taken to a hospital, where he is expected to survive. Details about the officers involved were not released, but ABC15 confirmed no officers were injured in the incident. Further investigation will be conducted by the Gilbert Police Department, as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team, while the Mesa Police Department probes the events leading up to the shooting.
