Phoenix

Arizona Police Officer Killed, 2 Others Injured in Shooting

The other two officers who were shot are in stable condition

Cmdr. Greg Carnicle
Phoenix Police Dept.

A Phoenix police commander was killed and two other officers were wounded Sunday night after they responded to calls about a dispute between roommates.

Cmdr. Greg Carnicle, a veteran officer and father of four, was killed. The other officers were expected to recover, the department said.

Sgt. Mercedes Fortune told reporters that the suspect refused to cooperate and shot the officers shortly after 7 p.m.

The suspect, who has not been identified, was also killed and pronounced dead at the scene, Fortune said. Authorities did not say if the suspect died as a result of officers' gunfire.

"Tonight we lost a true hero. Greg Carnicle was a 31-year veteran of our department," Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said.

The other two officers who were shot are in stable condition, she said. One of them had surgery while the other one was recovering from her wounds, Williams told the Arizona Republic. The two were not identified.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the police department said Carnicle "held positions throughout the department including the special assignments unit, K9 and he most recently oversaw all evening and weekend patrol operations."

Carnicle is survived by his wife and four children, Fortune said at the news conference.

Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel expressed support for the police department. "We stand with the Phoenix Police Department and all of our first responders. We are so saddened by this loss," she said.

Col. Frank Milstead, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, wrote on Twitter, "I am saddened by the death of my friend @PhoenixPolice Commander Greg Carnicle. We served together in the Traffic Bureau and Tactical Support Bureau, while I was working at Phoenix PD. He was 30+ year veteran of the PPD. Via Con Dios."

Mayor Kate Gallego said she has been informed of the shooting, She wrote on Twitter: "No words are adequate to express my sadness for Commander Carnicle's family and @PhoenixPolice."

Gov. Doug Ducey asked the public to “join me in praying for these officers, their families, and the entire @PhoenixPolice community.”

The most recent death of a Phoenix police officer in the line of duty was in March 2019 when Officer Paul Thomas Rutherford was struck by a vehicle. The last officers killed by gunfire were Officer David Van Glasser in May 2016 and Detective John Thomas Hobbs in March 2014.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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