H20Advantage
09-18-2006, 07:37 AM
36-year-old shot after high-speed car chase
By BRIAN DiTULLIO
Sunday, September 17, 2006 10:49 PM MDT
News-Herald Photo/Brian Ditullio Investigators remove the body of Frank Ferguson, 36, from a residence in the 1800 block of Magnolia Drive early Sunday. Ferguson was reportedly shot and killed after a high-speed car chase through downtown Saturday evening. Three Lake Havasu City Police officers shot Ferguson multiple times. The incident is under investigation.
In only the second Lake Havasu City Police Department officer -involved fatal shooting, a man was killed in a gunfight Saturday night.
The man allegedly shot at police officers after a car chase that wound through downtown in late evening
Frank Ferguson, 36, a Lake Havasu City resident, was identified Sunday morning as the alleged suspect. Ferguson fired at least one round before succumbing to his injuries, according to police. The shooting took place at 1830 Magnolia Ave. just after 10 p.m.
The incident began at 9:35 p.m. , Saturday, when patrol officers attempted to stop a 1990 gold Honda Civic hatchback for a traffic violation near Barranca and Sandwood drives.
Ferguson failed to stop and a chase began. During the 17-minute pursuit, the driver allegedly pointed a weapon and drove his vehicle toward an officer who was attempting to control traffic in his marked police unit, police said.
During the chase, which reached speeds up to 50 mph, Ferguson allegedly threw clothing, stereo equipment, and a weapon from his vehicle. He managed to avoid a deployed spike strip before a police supervisor called off the pursuit as it entered the downtown area of McCulloch Boulevard.
Officers used vehicle registration information to locate the Ferguson vehicle in 1800 block of Magnolia Drive. Officers spotted the suspect, who reportedly fled on foot. Patrol officers set up a perimeter and initiated an area search. Police contacted citizens in front of a duplex at 1830 Magnolia Drive. The tenant in unit No. 101 reportedly told officers the suspect was not there, but gave officers consent to search. Four uniformed officers entered the unit and observed a weapon being pointed at them from the end of a hallway.
According to the police report, the officers gave commands to drop the weapon and within seconds the gun was pulled back and pointed at them again. Three officers discharged their duty weapons, striking Ferguson multiple times. Ferguson fired at least one round, according to police.
The first police fatal officer-involved shooting was the Mike Judge case in October 2004.
Investigators from the Kingman Police Department are handling Saturday's shooting investigation. Department of Public Safety Western Arizona Crime Lab technicians assisted with the on-scene processing.
The KPD still was processing the scene on Sunday and investigators wouldn't comment on how many shots were fired total in the incident.
The officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Their identities have not yet been released.
By BRIAN DiTULLIO
Sunday, September 17, 2006 10:49 PM MDT
News-Herald Photo/Brian Ditullio Investigators remove the body of Frank Ferguson, 36, from a residence in the 1800 block of Magnolia Drive early Sunday. Ferguson was reportedly shot and killed after a high-speed car chase through downtown Saturday evening. Three Lake Havasu City Police officers shot Ferguson multiple times. The incident is under investigation.
In only the second Lake Havasu City Police Department officer -involved fatal shooting, a man was killed in a gunfight Saturday night.
The man allegedly shot at police officers after a car chase that wound through downtown in late evening
Frank Ferguson, 36, a Lake Havasu City resident, was identified Sunday morning as the alleged suspect. Ferguson fired at least one round before succumbing to his injuries, according to police. The shooting took place at 1830 Magnolia Ave. just after 10 p.m.
The incident began at 9:35 p.m. , Saturday, when patrol officers attempted to stop a 1990 gold Honda Civic hatchback for a traffic violation near Barranca and Sandwood drives.
Ferguson failed to stop and a chase began. During the 17-minute pursuit, the driver allegedly pointed a weapon and drove his vehicle toward an officer who was attempting to control traffic in his marked police unit, police said.
During the chase, which reached speeds up to 50 mph, Ferguson allegedly threw clothing, stereo equipment, and a weapon from his vehicle. He managed to avoid a deployed spike strip before a police supervisor called off the pursuit as it entered the downtown area of McCulloch Boulevard.
Officers used vehicle registration information to locate the Ferguson vehicle in 1800 block of Magnolia Drive. Officers spotted the suspect, who reportedly fled on foot. Patrol officers set up a perimeter and initiated an area search. Police contacted citizens in front of a duplex at 1830 Magnolia Drive. The tenant in unit No. 101 reportedly told officers the suspect was not there, but gave officers consent to search. Four uniformed officers entered the unit and observed a weapon being pointed at them from the end of a hallway.
According to the police report, the officers gave commands to drop the weapon and within seconds the gun was pulled back and pointed at them again. Three officers discharged their duty weapons, striking Ferguson multiple times. Ferguson fired at least one round, according to police.
The first police fatal officer-involved shooting was the Mike Judge case in October 2004.
Investigators from the Kingman Police Department are handling Saturday's shooting investigation. Department of Public Safety Western Arizona Crime Lab technicians assisted with the on-scene processing.
The KPD still was processing the scene on Sunday and investigators wouldn't comment on how many shots were fired total in the incident.
The officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Their identities have not yet been released.