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Police: Suspect reaches for Phoenix officer's gun, shot in leg by another officer

Posted at 3:56 PM, Apr 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-10 11:32:12-04

A Phoenix police spokesperson says at least one officer was involved in a shooting in south Phoenix.

Authorities were called a home off of Interstate 17 near 15th Avenue around 4 p.m. Sunday after receiving 911 calls about a man going in and out of what is believed to be a vacant home. 

Police said that when they confronted the 23-year-old man he allegedly reached for a holstered gun on one of the officers. During a brief struggle, the suspect fired a gunshot into the ground. 

"The suspect was able to get his finger onto the trigger and pull that trigger," a Phoenix police spokesperson said. "One round went off while the gun was still in the officer's holster."

Another officer who was witnessing the incident shot the suspect in the leg, officials said. The man attempted to flee the area but was taken into custody shortly after.

The man was taken to the hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg, a Phoenix fire spokesperson said. The wound isn't expected to be life-threatening.

It's believed that he is homeless, a police spokesperson said.

Officers suffered minor injuries during the incident. No weapons were found at the scene.

"Obviously it's a dangerous job for the officers, but we still need to respond to those types of jobs," a Phoenix police spokesperson said. "We still encourage if you see someone where they don't belong, please call us."

The suspect is expected to be charged with aggravated assault against an officer. He also had a felony warrant due to a probation violation.

Stay with ABC15 News and abc15.com for the latest updates.