PHOENIX — A man is dead and another is in custody after police were called to a group stealing cigarettes early Thursday morning, authorities said.
Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Vince Lewis said officers were in the area of 47th Avenue and Indian School for a commercial burglary call. According to police, a black truck driving with their headlights off was spotted near the burglary scene. Lewis said officers tried to stop that truck when it took off. The truck was found abandoned a short ways away, police said.
A witness told officers four people fled the truck and an officer spotted a man walking a short way from the truck, according to Phoenix PD. Lewis said that man, later identified as Eugene Horn, 43, pointed a gun at the officer. The officer then exited his vehicle and fired at Horn, striking him, police said.
Horn was taken into custody with the help of a police K9. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Another suspect, 24-year-old Calvin Mejia was located in the area and taken into custody. Mejia was booked on one count of felony murder because Horn was killed during the commission of a crime, police said.
The two other people seen fleeing the truck were not located. No officers were injured in the incident.
Sgt. Lewis said there will be two parallel investigations into the shooting. One by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and an internal investigation by the Phoenix Police Department. Lewis said the investigations are standard procedure for officer shootings.