PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on a Phoenix police officer who died after getting struck by an SUV (all times local)
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4:15 p.m.
Phoenix police say the driver of an SUV that fatally struck an officer wasn’t impaired.
Officer Paul Rutherford was hit while investigating an accident scene Thursday morning and died of his injuries at a hospital.
Police say the 51-year-old Rutherford was responding to a priority radio call and was crossing a street on foot when he was struck.
They say the 40-year-old woman who was driving the SUV remained at the scene. Her name hasn’t been released.
Police say Rutherford had been a policeman for nearly 23 years, was married and had two adult children.
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1:55 p.m.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is ordering that flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff Friday from sunrise to sunset to honor a Phoenix police officer fatally injured Thursday when struck by a vehicle.
Ducey’s office said the governor also will ordered be lowered on Officer Paul Rutherford’s interment date, which has not been set.
Police officials said the 51-year-old officer was struck while on the roadway where police were investigating a collision.
Ducey said in a statement that “Arizona’s deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones” of Rutherford, and the governor said Rutherford’s death “provides yet another example of the dangers faced by law enforcement every day…”
A Police Department spokesman said Rutherford was an officer for nearly 23 years, was married and had two adult children.
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10:25 a.m.
A Phoenix Police Department spokesman says an officer has died after being struck by a vehicle at a collision scene Thursday.
Sgt. Tommy Thompson says Officer Paul Rutherford was struck while on the roadway and died after being transported to a hospital in extremely critical condition.
Thompson said Rutherford was 51 years old, had been an officer for nearly 23 years, was married and had two adult children.
Police Chief Jeri Williams said Phoenix “has a reason to mourn because once again one of our officers was killed in the line of duty.”
Thompson said the driver of the vehicle that struck Rutherford remained at the scene and that the investigation was in its early stages.
The incident occurred near West Indian School Road and North 75th Avenue.
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10:05 a.m.
The Phoenix Police Department says an officer was transported to a hospital in extremely critical condition after being struck by a vehicle at a collision scene Thursday.
News outlets reported that the officer was on foot when struck.
A police spokesman, Sgt. Tommy Thompson, said Police Chief Jeri Williams planned to address the news media regarding the incident, which occurred at West Indian School Road and North 75th Avenue.
No additional information was immediately available.
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