A deputy with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was shot "several times" while conducting a traffic stop in Peoria shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
MCSO Sergeant Brandon Jones says Deputy Ruben Garcia, who's been with the MCSO for 29 years, pulled over a truck that was related to a call the Sheriff's Office had received Monday night from a woman who feared for the safety of her ex-boyfriend.
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Jones says Garcia approached the truck after the driver pulled over at a gas station near 83rd Avenue and Deer Valley, but it's yet unclear what happened after that.
"At this point, we are unsure what occurred. However, we do know that Deputy Garcia was struck several times by gunfire, presumed to be that of the suspects," Jones says in an e-mail to media.
The shooter drove away, and Garcia was flown by helicopter to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Jones says Garcia is in critical but stable condition.
Peoria police ended up in a vehicle chase with the suspect, whose name hasn't been released. We're checking for more details, but a Peoria police spokeswoman says the suspect is dead, apparently after being shot by police.
Garcia is now the second Valley law enforcement officer to be shot this week, after Phoenix police Officer Pete Bennett was shot six times Sunday night.
Check back for updates.