A man was shot dead by Pinal County Sheriff’s Office officers Tuesday following a domestic violence incident at Apache Junction.
The unidentified man barricaded himself inside the camper while trying to escape from police, then set fire to a separate garage, according to the sheriff’s office.
The incident occurred around 3:30 pm on Tuesday near Acacia Road and Southern Avenue. Officials said the sheriff’s office and Apache Junction Police tried to stop a man who began driving his motorhome “recklessly” after the first domestic violence incident. The sheriff’s office has not released details about what happened in the first incident.
The suspect barricaded himself on his way home after crashing into a sheriff’s office sign vehicle. Authorities said the man then started a fire in a detached garage that spread to several other buildings.
Officers and agents tried to negotiate with the man, at which point a shooting broke out, officials said. The suspect was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. No information was released about the number of shots fired or the number of police officers.
The sheriff’s office said the man was seen with a knife and a handgun, but did not say if a shot was fired.
The sheriff’s office said neighbors of the residential area were evacuated as a precaution.
An investigation was ongoing.
