Queen Creek police shoot, kill armed hit-and-run suspect

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. – An armed hit-and-run suspect was shot and killed by Queen Creek officers on Tuesday night.

What we know:

Queen Creek Police say the Feb. 10 incident began when they were assisting the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office in finding a San Tan Valley hit-and-run suspect.

The suspect was later found near Queen Creek and Meridian Roads after reportedly fleeing the crash scene.

“During a yard-to-yard search of the area, officers encountered an armed subject matching the suspect’s description,” police said. “Although less lethal tools were deployed, an officer-involved shooting occurred. The suspect was shot by officers and pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Dig deeper:

The suspect was later identified as 23-year-old Gaven Johnson. Police say he was armed and shot two officers. One of the officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized. The second officer was treated at the scene.

Both officers are expected to make a full recovery.

Queen Creek police fatally shot a suspect on the night of Tuesday, Feb. 10, near the intersection of Queen Creek and Meridian roads.

What’s next:

The Mesa Police Department is investigating the shooting as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team.

Map of the area where the shooting happened