Phoenix officer fires rifle at man aiming handgun at police helicopter

A 69-year-old man is in a hospital with life-threatening injuries after a Phoenix Police Department officer fired a duty rifle at him on Monday night. The shooting occurred during a follow-up to an aggravated assault report at a convenience store near 75th Avenue and Van Buren Street.

Police were dispatched at 10 p.m. on Nov. 2 after call comments indicated a suspect had pointed a handgun at a victim and fled in a vehicle. Officers later located the suspect's car in an empty lot on the north-west corner of 79th Avenue and Van Buren Street. As an air unit flew overhead, the officer observed the suspect standing beside his vehicle with a handgun pointed at the helicopter.

In response to the perceived threat, an officer discharged his rifle, striking the man with gunfire. No police officers were injured during the exchange. The suspect has not yet been identified by authorities.

Sgt. John Buchanan told reporters that the area remains closed to the public due to the active investigation. He stated that Van Buren Street is shut down between 75th Avenue and 83rd Avenue, likely for the rest of the morning and possibly into the early afternoon.

The Phoenix Police Department is investigating the initial aggravated assault. Separately, the Arizona Department of Public Safety has opened its own inquiry into the officer-involved shooting.