Man hospitalized after police shooting at Red Roof Inn in Phoenix
A man is in the hospital after a police shooting at the Red Roof Inn near Interstate 17 and Bell Road on Friday.
Standing in front of the taped off hotel at a 4:15 p.m. press conference, Phoenix Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Vincent Cole said the shooting happened when police were responding to an aggravated assault report.
At 11:30 a.m., Cole said police received a call from a security guard about an armed man walking a parking lot near 27th Avenue and Bell Road, close to the hotel.
The guard had approached a man who he knew was banned from the property and when the man pointed a gun at him, the guard called police. Then, the armed man walked down the road, where he met with an acquaintance, had a dispute, and "pistol-whipped" the acquaintance several times and pointed the gun to the acquaintance's head, according to a Phoenix Police Department news release.
Officers arrived on scene when the man was already inside the hotel and used less-lethal, 40 mm projectiles on the man. The man ran further into the hotel, and when police caught up with him, Cole said he pointed what officers believed was a firearm. An officer responded by shooting at him.
Cole said the man is believed to have been unharmed by the shooting and continued through the hotel. Officers later found him in the laundry room, where he had barricaded himself, and used more "less-lethal projectiles" on him, finally taking him into custody.
The man was later hospitalized with injuries from the "less-lethal" munitions but not real gunfire, Cole said. No officers or other people were injured, according to a news release.
It’s unclear what age the man is. Cole said police believe he was firing a pistol, but investigations continue and the department is unsure whether the man fired his weapon at all. Cole did not say how many officers responded to the call.
“Our primary concern is people's welfare and that’s every person involved, so that’s the first thing we take into consideration when there’s something that is concerning as far as a threat or a person causing issues. We don’t want that person to have access to other people. We try to contain them,” Cole said.
The suspect is expected to be charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, the news release said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: One man hospitalized after police shooting at Red Roof Inn in Phoenix
