Brawl in Wal-Mart parking lot leaves 1 dead
COTTONWOOD, Ariz. - A suspect who shot and wounded a Cottonwood police officer was shot and killed in a gun battle in a Wal-Mart parking lot late Saturday night that left seven other officers hurt and a second suspect wounded, reports CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO-TV.
The officer who was shot was hit in the leg during the brawl, authorities said.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety said the Cottonwood officer was shot just before midnight Sunday as he and a group of officers tried to break up the melee.
The incident began when a Wal Mart employee noticed that a large group of people were in one of the store's restrooms, department spokesman Bart Graves said. The employee was shoved by one of the suspects when she tried to enter, he said.
By the time Cottonwood police arrived, the group had made its way to the parking lot. Officers were immediately attacked and there was a struggle for an officer's gun, Graves said.
One suspect was fatally shot, a second suspect was shot in the abdomen and a Wal Mart employee also suffered cuts on his arm. The wounded 31-year-old officer underwent surgery and was expected to make a full recovery.
There were a total of three gunshots, and it was still unclear Sunday night who fired the shots, Graves said. Seven officers suffered minor injuries including lacerations and bruising.
Seven suspects were taken into custody and were later booked on charges that included aggravated assault, attempted homicide and obstruction, Graves said.
Louie Solano saw it all happen, KPHO says.
There "was a lot of noise. It looked like a riot in the middle of the parking lot. I mean, it was unbelievable," he told the station.
He said he thought he heard up to 10 shots. "Lots of screams," Solano said. "Just screeching noise, like unreal, unreal."
It was unclear if everyone in the group was part of the same family. The department said in a statement that they were driving a Chevrolet Suburban with an Idaho license plate.
The suspects were all booked under "John Doe" names because their identities had not been determined.
"We don't know who they are at this point," Graves said. "They are not cooperating."