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Two officers were wounded and a suspect was killed in what police called an ambush at a Wal-Mart in Chandler Saturday morning, police said.
"Our officers are alive and for that we are eternally grateful," Chandler Police Chief Sean Duggan said at a noon press conference.
The two officers were shot multiple times, Duggan said. Their names are not being released until family and relatives are notified.
One officer has been released from the hospital. One remains in ICU.
Chandler Battalion Chief Keith Hargis said three other people who apparently witnessed the shooting suffered medical conditions. They were not shot, he said. They were being treated at the scene.
"This morning’s incident is another example of just how dangerous the job of policing can be," Duggan said. "Our officers responded to what some may call as a routine call, even though we realize there’s no such things as a routine call. But when they arrived, as they approached, they were shot multiple times within seconds. A seemingly routine call turned into a deadly encounter within a split second."
Emergency dispatchers received dozens of calls.
Wal-Mart employees had notified police they wanted a trespasser removed, Chandler Police Detective Seth Tyler said. He said it was the same person who had been trespassing there in the past.
One police officer arrived, walked into the store and "was immediately fired upon by the suspect," Tyler said.
A citizen rendered aid to the wounded officer, Duggan said.
A second officer arrived. He, too, was shot but managed to open fire and kill the assailant.
It's not known how many shots were fired.
Police helped escort shoppers to the store's garden center a safe distance away.
A shopper, Cynthia Ayala, described what she heard and saw.
“Honestly, I thought it was pallets falling,” Ayala said. “I never thought it would be gunshots. And then it was clear after a couple of them that it was gunshots. And I was really scared. I didn’t know if the bullets were going to come back down and hit me. I was really scared as to where they would fall."
The officers are believed to have been on the force for less than five years, Tyler said.
Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny said the incident is a reminder of just how dangerous policing can be.
“Myself and the council’s thoughts and prayers are with the two officers and their families," he said. "I was able to stop by the hospital earlier today and we’re thinking of them."
Police were set to obtain and view the store's surveillance video.
At the height of the investigation, more than 30 officers on hand at the Wal-Mart.
Saturday's incident was the ninth officer-involved shooting in the Valley since the year began.
http://www.kmov.com/story/31798671/2-officers-shot-suspect-dead-at-chandler-walmart