PHOENIX, AZ — A 17-year-old is in custody after reportedly firing a rifle at Department of Public Safety troopers Thursday morning in Phoenix, and authorities are searching for a second suspect in connection with the incident. Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesman Capt. Jesse Galvez said during a press briefing that the shooting occurred right before 9 a.m. local time on Thursday. Two detectives were in an unmarked car in police attire in the area for an ongoing operation, he said, when a silver, four-door Infiniti with custom wheels and a temporary plate “pulled up next to them and honked their horn.” While the operation was not described, Galvez said the troopers “were in the community helping with an operation to make this community safe and simply doing their job.”
The vehicle has a temporary plate & appears to have chipped paint below the license plate area. If you see this vehicle, please call 9-1-1 immediately.
— Dept. of Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) September 17, 2020
A teenage male passenger, described as Hispanic, then got out and started firing a rifle at two DPS detectives, Galvez said. The suspect was later identified as Luis German Espinoza Acuna at a press conference held Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. local time. Luis German Espinoza Acuna identified as a suspect who shot at two troopers in Phoenix. Do you want to join our private family of first responders and supporters? Get unprecedented access to some of the most powerful stories that the media refuses to show you. Proceeds get reinvested into having active, retired and wounded officers, their families and supporters tell more of these stories. Click to check it out.
The troopers were able to exit their vehicle and return fire. At that point, the driver sped off, leaving the passenger behind. The troopers were not shot during this incident. Vehicle that troopers were sitting in when ambushed by a shooter with an assault rifle. The 17-year-old suspected shooter was taken into custody and the weapon was seized, but the search for the driver, believed to be a Hispanic male in his late teens, continues, according to KTAR News. No injuries were reported.
At noon, a Blue Alert was activated, triggering alarms on cellphones across the Valley. The Blue Alert is a rarely used system that DPS can use when a suspect is on the loose after a law enforcement officer has been assaulted.
That #BlueAlert you just got on your phone is connected with a shooting involving DPS troopers this morning. One suspect is on the loose. No troopers hurt.
Trooper-involved shooting near 35th Ave and Roosevelt https://t.co/9HabTh87PX
— Steve Irvin (@Steve_Irvin) September 17, 2020
“The goal of the Blue Alert is to protect the public and officers through efficient information dissemination and communication that results in quick and safe apprehension of suspect(s) when such attacks occur,” according to the DPS website. As of this writing, the second suspect is still at large, and anyone who spots the vehicle or has any information should immediately call 911. In the meantime, the hunt is still on for the gunman who ambushed two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officers on September 12th. Now, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva tells ABC News that he has warned deputies to watch out for more possible attacks. Villanueva said: “This is going to cause us to be a lot more concerned about when we approach vehicles when we’re out there on the streets,”
UPDATE: L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva warned deputies to watch out for more possible attacks after a gunman ambushed two officers in Compton. https://t.co/AqrKpGm4eO
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) September 15, 2020
He went on to say: “We have everybody paired up in two-man vehicles now. So, we’re going to have to be watching out for each other’s back out there on the streets.” Villanueva said that the LA County Sheriff department is using all the resources at their disposal to aid in the search for the gunman. He pressed the immediate need to identify the dangerous suspect and get him off the streets before he’s able to strike again. The FBI has joined in the search for the gunman, and announced it is lending resources to the manhunt and “stands ready to assist in response” to the attack.
As the FBI joined a massive search for a gunman who ambushed two deputies, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says he’s worried about more attacks on law enforcement officers and is warning members of his agency to watch each other’s back. https://t.co/kqXKP6Ddvf
— ABC News (@ABC) September 14, 2020
On Sunday, the The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman. In addition, many have made anonymous donations to aid in the arrest of the suspect. Villanueva told ABC News that despite being shot four or five times, including once in the jaw, the female deputy walked around the patrol vehicle to help her 24-year-old partner, who suffered gunshot wounds to his forehead, arms and a hand. He said: “He’s bleeding out profusely from the arm so she actually applies a tourniquet to his arm to stop the bleeding and she tries to call for help on the radio, “It’s pretty heart-wrenching and she’s trying to mumble and we finally get her … she says where she is at and the fact that there was a shooting, and that got all the help rolling in her direction.” Villanueva said after exiting their patrol car, the wounded deputies hid behind a column because: “They didn’t know if the gunman was going to come back or not and they’re obviously both disabled and injured, very gut-wrenching to see the video and the heroic efforts from both of them to get to safety and still manage to take care of each other,” It has just been reported that the 24-year-old male deputy that was shot in the forehead, arms and hands has been released from the hospital.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced that one of the deputies — a 24-year-old officer who suffered gunshot wounds to his forehead, arms and a hand — has been released from the hospital. https://t.co/lWdWmNZTCu
— ABC News (@ABC) September 17, 2020