A late-night call about a man with a gun near 16th Street and Roosevelt ended with a Phoenix police helicopter briefly in the line of fire and a suspect in handcuffs on Saturday, according to police and court records. Investigators say the air unit watched as the man raised a handgun toward the aircraft, then tracked him as he tossed the weapon over a fence. Ground officers moved in and used a pepper-ball round to gain compliance before arresting him, and he was booked into jail on multiple counts that include aggravated assault on an officer.
Officers were dispatched around 10:15 p.m. for reports of an armed person in the area of 16th Street and Roosevelt. Court documents state the police helicopter soon spotted a man matching the caller’s description, who then pointed a handgun toward the chopper and discarded it. When officers on the ground confronted him, he initially refused to follow commands, so they deployed a pepper-ball device. Records say that is when he decided to cooperate. The suspect, identified as Jordan Garcia Morales, was booked on allegations of aggravated assault on an officer and misconduct involving weapons as a prohibited possessor, according to ABC15.
Charges and legal context
Prosecutors have charged Morales under Arizona laws that carry significant potential prison time. State statute A.R.S. §13-3102 defines misconduct involving weapons to include having a deadly weapon while legally barred from possessing one. Another statute, A.R.S. §13-1204, outlines aggravated assault and increases penalties when the alleged victim is a first responder such as a police officer. Under these provisions, assaults on law enforcement and certain weapons offenses can be charged as felonies, with sentencing ranges that rise depending on the subsection used.
Air-unit encounters this month
Police say this is the third recent case in which someone has either pointed or fired a weapon at a Phoenix police helicopter, part of a rocky month for the department’s air crews. According to reporting and court documents, three people were detained after several shots were fired at a Phoenix police helicopter near 36th Street and Van Buren on March 16, and on March 22 officers shot a suspect who allegedly opened fire multiple times on an air unit near 44th Street and Thomas Road. Investigators say all of these encounters with the air unit remain under review as they work to determine whether the incidents are connected, ABC15 reports.
Authorities have not released additional information and say the investigation is ongoing. The case is expected to move through the county booking and charging process, with formal court filings and hearing dates to be entered in the coming days.
