PD: Officer involved shooting in Mesa, 1 suspect shot

MESA, AZ - Two Mesa police officers shot a man early Sunday evening after a series of car crashes in east Mesa.
 
According to Mesa Detective Steve Berry, officers received several 911 calls around 5 p.m. of an erratic driver who had hit two cars near Gilbert and Brown roads and continued driving at a high rate of speed down Brown.
 
"Once he got to the intersection of Brown and 64th Street he was involved in a collision involving four cars," said Berry. "Our officers were immediately there and the subject got out of his car and began walking from the scene and at some point pulled out a gun and our officers fired."
 
Berry did not know how many times the man was shot.
 
"He was taken to a local hospital and I've been told he is in critical but stable condition," said Berry.
 
Detectives are not yet releasing the man's identity and do not know if he was impaired in any way during the incidents.
 
"Two other drivers who were involved in the crash were taken to the hospital as well, I believe one person is in serious condition," said Berry when referring to the innocent drivers involved in the series of crashes.
 
It's unknown if the car the suspect was driving was stolen.
 
Witnesses tell ABC15 the suspect was wearing a tie and that they saw him walking outside of his car after he crashed.
 
"He just looked like a clean cut guy, I saw that he had his hands up and seemed to be walking in circles," said Sean Williams, who saw the crash.  "I just saw a car spin and I could smell the rubber, the smell I remember, but I did not see the shooting, I just kept on driving."
 
Berry said the suspect pulled out a gun and the officers felt threatened.

“The suspect began to walk away from our officers and our officers deployed their tasers. The taser did not work and the suspect turned towards the officer and produced a handgun, pointing it at them.”

No officers were injured in the incident.