PHOENIX (AP) - A law enforcement officer serving on a federal task force fatally shot a man using his vehicle to push the officer’s vehicle following a chase that began after the man shoplifted tools and threatened a store worker with a knife, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
The identity of the man killed Wednesday was not released and the Marshals Service did not immediately respond to a query on whether the agency’s violent offender task force member involved in the shooting was a deputy marshal or worked for another agency.
The shoplifting incident occurred at a Home Depot store in Mesa, prompting a pursuit into Phoenix where the shooting occurred after the SUV driven by the man stopped in an area west of downtown, the agency said in a statement.
“The suspect vehicle began to spin its tires and pushed the officer’s vehicle, while the officer was standing at the quarter panel. This is when the officer involved shooting occurred,” the statement said.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating the shooting, the Marshals Service said.
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