PD: Man assaults police officer after crash kills Phoenix pedestrian

PHOENIX - A Phoenix vehicle collision left a pedestrian dead and responding officers became the victims of assault late Sunday night, according to police.

Officers were called to the area of Dunlap and 35th avenues around 11 p.m. Sunday to conduct a welfare check on a woman standing in the roadway.

When officers arrived, they discovered that a car had struck a pedestrian in the area while driving in the inside northbound lane on Dunlap Avenue.

The woman, identified as 42-year-old Darlene Brown, appeared to have been standing in the roadway, said Officer James Holmes.

Witness reports vary as to whether Brown was crossing the street or standing in the roadway at the time of the incident, but some reports say she may have been impaired in some way.

Holmes said a large crowd of around 100 people gathered at the scene with 15 to 20 people surrounding the victim in the street.

One male identified as Samuel Cooper, 24, was acting erratically, yelling and trying to get to Brown, Holmes said.

An unidentified male told Cooper to stay back, and Cooper struck the man.

As police attempted to control Cooper, he shoved an officer and hit him with a tennis shoe that he had thrown.

Cooper ran to a nearby convenience store parking lot to avoid being taken into custody, but police caught up and struggled to handcuff him.

The suspect struck other officers in the face and arm before they were able to successfully arrest him.

Kiyana Hammond, 20, and Doris Valenzuela, 22,  then approached officers and tried to free Cooper.

Hammond and Valenzuela were also taken into custody for resisting arrest.

Police later learned that Cooper’s mother was a friend of the collision victim.

Brown was transported to the hospital for her injuries which she later died from.

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene. Holmes said he was not found to be impaired or injured during the collision.