Phoenix police identify man suspected of killing woman, wounding 9 officers

A man was found dead after Phoenix police said he fatally shot his former girlfriend and injured five officers early Friday at a home near 51st Avenue and Broadway Road.

The man was identified as Morris Jones, 36, police said during a news conference on Friday afternoon. The woman was not identified.

Four other Phoenix police officers were wounded during the incident by bullet shrapnel, according to spokesperson Sgt. Andy Williams. Officials previously said only three officers were wounded by shrapnel.

The injuries to nine Phoenix police officers could possibly be the most to occur in a single incident at the department, Williams said.

Williams explained the investigation is “incredibly complex” and information is subject to change. As of 4 p.m., Williams said that of the five officers shot, four remained hospitalized and that all were expected to survive.

Mayor Kate Gallego, Chief Jeri Williams and other city leaders condemned the incident as a "senseless act of violence" and commended officers during a Friday news conference.

“I’m incredibly proud of our Phoenix Police Department. These officers chose to run into harm’s way. A baby is safe today because of our Phoenix police officers," Gallego said.

Chief Williams said investigators are piecing together what led to the fatal shooting and asked for patience as they process a massive amount of evidence left behind.

Chief Williams also commended the involved officers’ actions as well as the dispatchers, firefighters and hospital staff involved.

“As gunfire was raging out, our officers went in,” Chief Williams said. “As a baby is left on the doorstep our officers went to rescue her — and that’s the kind of police officers that we have here in our department and in our community.”

How did the shootings happen?

Phoenix police responded to the home at about 2:15 a.m. Friday after receiving a report of a woman who was shot. 

The shooter invited the first arriving officer inside and then “ambushed” him as he approached the door and shot him several times, Sgt. Williams said. The officer was able to get to safety as backup arrived and called out the occupants of the home.

Then, another man from inside the home came out holding a baby girl, Sgt. Williams said. He placed the baby on the ground, walked toward police and was detained.

As officers attempted to take the baby to safety, four officers were shot, Sgt. Williams said.  Another four were injured by bullet shrapnel. 

Two officers returned fire and the shooter then barricaded himself in the home, Sgt. Williams said.

The scene was ultimately secured, police said. The suspect was found dead inside the home. 

A woman also was found injured in the home, Sgt. Williams said. She died Friday afternoon, Sgt. Williams told The Arizona Republic. Police later clarified in a Feb. 25 update that the woman had been found dead inside the home.

The shooter was believed to be the woman's former boyfriend, and the baby girl was believed to be their child, according to Sgt. Williams. He had no information as to whether police had responded to the home before. 

The infant was in the Arizona Department of Child Safety's custody as of Friday afternoon, Sgt. Williams said.

All five Phoenix police officers who were shot were taken to a hospital. There continued to be a large police presence outside Banner University Medical Center on Friday morning. 

The first officer was injured “most significantly” but was expected to survive, Sgt. Williams said. The four other officers who were shot had injuries that were not life-threatening. 

The four who were injured by shrapnel had minor injuries. They remained at the scene until the incident was resolved, Sgt. Williams previously said. 

Sgt. Williams said it would “take some time” to determine how the suspect died and that a motive wasn’t immediately clear.

Witness recalls shots flying overhead

Austin Michael, 26, used to live in a home that is “rock-throwing distance” from where the incident occurred Friday morning.

Michael had lived in the neighborhood for about a year and a half prior to moving out in September. During the past few days, he’d been working on a car he bought from his former neighbor’s daughter, and opted to spend the night in the bed of his truck under a camper shell nearby.

He was on his phone around 2 a.m. when he saw the lights of a police cruiser pass by. Shortly afterward, he heard an exchange of gunfire. Additional police cruisers started arriving at the scene.

“I got inside of my pickup truck, and I kept down low,” he said, adding that he didn’t want to get in officers’ way.

Michael said media personnel arrived and at one point were taking cover behind his truck when a round flew over their heads.

“That was so close, that’s when everything got extremely serious and it was not a joke anymore,” he said.

Incident highlights dangers in police work

Mayor Gallego said it was fortunate none of the officers lost their lives, but acknowledged some face a long and arduous road to recovery.

Gallego said she spoke to one of the officers before he went into surgery and that he was only concerned about the condition of his colleagues.

“That is the type of incredibly selfless individual who serves the city of Phoenix.”

Chief Williams echoed her outrage at what happened to her officers.

“I said this morning and I’ll say it again — if I seem upset, I am,” Chief Williams said. “This is senseless. It makes no sense. I’m trying to make rhyme and reason to this. But this kind of violence has no place in our city and it continues to happen over and over again in this community and in our country.”

Sgt. Williams said the incident highlights the “uncertainties and the dangers of this job.”

“Police officers are always walking into tense, uncertain situations and we’re there to help people,” he said.

“It’s not for the money, it’s not for the accolades — it’s a calling,” he continued. “People choose this profession because something about it speaks to them and they want to help their community, they want to serve their community.”

Just two months ago, Phoenix police Officer Tyler Moldovan was shot multiple times during an investigation. He has since been released from the hospital but was taken to a another medical facility for rehabilitation.

Gov. Doug Ducey in a tweet on Friday said his office was working closely with Phoenix police to get updates on the situation and the officers' conditions. 

"Our men and women in blue work day and night — no matter the circumstances — to protect our state from danger," the tweet said. "Their unwavering courage & sacrifice helps to keep us safe. Arizona is deeply grateful."

The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association on Friday afternoon said it hadn't yet organized any fundraisers for any officers involved.

"The deplorable and horrendous attack on Phoenix Police officers this morning is another unfortunate example of the real dangers our officers face each day," police union President Michael "Britt" London said in a statement to The Republic. "We've seen increased attacks against police officers across the nation as anti-police rhetoric has influenced public behavior. This must stop."

This is a developing story. Check azcentral.com for updates.