Police say a man accused of committing "suicide by cop" late Friday night is in custody after nearly hitting officers with his car and crashing into another vehicle on a Valley interstate.
Police were called to a home near 27th and Missouri avenues around 11:15 p.m. after receiving reports of an unstable man, officials said. When officers arrived at the home, the man allegedly drove up to the house erratically and nearly struck multiple officers who were outside.
The man left the scene afterward and officers used a helicopter the follow the car as it drove onto northbound Interstate 17.
The man stopped in the 8600 block of I-17 on an access road, police said. He refused to get out of his vehicle.
UPDATE: Freeway is CLOSED. All traffic must exit at Northern. https://t.co/TEsMFM2vEF
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) August 18, 2018
During the investigation, officers discovered the man was involved in a collision with a car on the freeway. The Arizona Department of Public Transportation is investigating that crash, police said.
In that collision, a DPS spokesperson says the crash involved two cars in the area of I-17 northbound and Northern Avenue.
Roads in the area were blocked for nearly a half hour while officers attempted to coerce the man out of his car, officials said. Officers deployed a non-lethal gas and the suspect surrendered.
The man was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
No officers were injured and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities have not released the suspect's name.
