Man back in jail after south Phoenix Circle K robbery

PHOENIX - A man recently released from prison is back in jail after allegedly robbing a Phoenix Circle K and firing shots at a police officer.

Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson said the officer was patrolling near 24th Street and Southern Avenue just after midnight Wednesday when he spotted a man running across 24th Street from the direction of the Circle K.

Knowing there'd been a number of beer thefts in the area, the officer made a U-turn to contact the man and as he drove toward him, the man fired several shots at the police vehicle, striking it once in the radiator area.

The officer was not struck and did not shoot at the man, Thompson said.

The officer radioed a description of the suspect and a perimeter was set up in the area.

One of the responding officers saw a man, later identified as 22-year-old Deandre Marquese Works, sitting on the front porch of a house in the area and stopped to contact him.

Works reportedly told officers he had stopped by to visit a friend and had come out of the house when he heard gunfire.

When police checked with the people in the house, they said they didn't know Works and had never seen him before.

Works was taken into custody and during their investigation detectives found evidence linking Works to the robbery, including items taken, and the gun that was used to shoot at the officer. Thompson also said Works made statements implicating himself in the Circle K robbery.

Detectives also found that Works was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had recently been released from prison after serving time for armed robbery.

Works was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault and misconduct involving weapons.