sunsoaker8
02-19-2007, 10:20 PM
City mourns slain police officer
Angelique Soenarie, Michael Struening and Josh Kelley
Feb. 19, 2007 09:41 PM
GLENDALE - Glendale Police Officer Anthony Holly planned to sport his new Harley Davidson motorcycle this week with his friend and former neighbor Jameson Johnson. The two had planned a weekend trip to Tonto National Forest.
But now the close friends won't have that chance.
"He and I were supposed to ride out to Tortilla Flats. I mean, I was just making plans with him on Thursday and now he's gone," Johnson said Monday night.
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Holly, 24, of Peoria was shot during a traffic stop early Monday at Oregon and 60th avenues, northwest of Camelback Road. He was pronounced dead at Phoenix's St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.
"This is an incredible loss," Glendale Police Chief Steve Conrad said. "It's extremely traumatic for all of us."
Holly is the first officer killed in the line of duty in Glendale in more than 20 years.
"He'll really be missed. I hope his mom understands that there are a lot of people who will miss him and that's because of who he (was)," Johnson said.
Holly recently joined the Glendale Police Department after serving a tour in Iraq, Johnson said. His brother, who is also a soldier and Holly's roommate, returned from Iraq just three weeks ago, he said.
"He had been on the force for less than two years," said Paul Frank, a former neighbor and friend of the fallen officer. "He just got out of serving his country and went right into serving his community."
Just after 7 a.m. Monday, Holly responded to a call for back up in which three suspects were stopped, Conrad said. Holly assisted the officer at the scene in arresting the first suspect, who was placed in a police vehicle. The two officers attempted to arrest the second suspect, who then pulled out a gun from his waist, police said. During a gunfire exchange, Holly and the suspect were struck. The gunman tried to get away but was arrested several feet away. Shortly after, the third suspect was arrested without incident, police said.
Debbie Black, 54, who lives in a condo on Oregon Avenue just east of where the shooting occurred, said the injured driver suspected of firing on the officers tried to enter her home.
"He was at my front door, and he had banged on the door and was hollering, 'Help me,' and I think he was asking for something to drink," Black said.
She woke to the sound of her dog barking. The gunshots had roused her husband, and he went out the back door to see what was happening.
She said the injured man was on the sidewalk in front of her door leaning against a brick pillar where she later cleaned the blood off the pavement. His gun was lying below the bedroom window of her son, who had woken up and began praying, Black said.
"It's something that's really scary," she said. "You just never know."
The injured suspect was taken to Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Police would not release the names of the three suspects.
Chief Conrad said he met with Holly's family at the hospital. Holly was single and had no children. He had been with the Glendale police force for two years.
"This is unfamiliar territory for us," Conrad said. "Truly, a tragic day for his family and our department."
According to Johnson, Holly's girlfriend, who arrived in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, was notified by officers there of his death.
Phoenix police Sgt. Joel Tranter said Phoenix police were assisting with the investigation.
The last Glendale officer killed in the line of duty was Sgt. Patrick L. Campbell, who died in 1985.
Peoria police spokesman Mike Tellef saw the news of the tragedy and called his counterpart at the Glendale Police Department to inquire.
"We've never lost a police officer in all 50 years," Tellef said of Peoria police. "We did have an officer who was shot and paralyzed on Dec. 17, 2005. Our thoughts and prayers are with the officer's family and the (Glendale) Police Department."
Black was thankful Sunday night for the arrest of the suspect.
As she spoke, Black's thoughts returned to Holly's family.
"The one thing I would like the family to know is that if it hadn't been for those two officers . . . that guy would have come through our door, so the young officer who was killed wasn't totally killed in vain," she said.
"Let his mama know that I don't feel her son totally died in vain. I know it won't help much. Maybe it will help a little."
Angelique Soenarie, Michael Struening and Josh Kelley
Feb. 19, 2007 09:41 PM
GLENDALE - Glendale Police Officer Anthony Holly planned to sport his new Harley Davidson motorcycle this week with his friend and former neighbor Jameson Johnson. The two had planned a weekend trip to Tonto National Forest.
But now the close friends won't have that chance.
"He and I were supposed to ride out to Tortilla Flats. I mean, I was just making plans with him on Thursday and now he's gone," Johnson said Monday night.
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Holly, 24, of Peoria was shot during a traffic stop early Monday at Oregon and 60th avenues, northwest of Camelback Road. He was pronounced dead at Phoenix's St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.
"This is an incredible loss," Glendale Police Chief Steve Conrad said. "It's extremely traumatic for all of us."
Holly is the first officer killed in the line of duty in Glendale in more than 20 years.
"He'll really be missed. I hope his mom understands that there are a lot of people who will miss him and that's because of who he (was)," Johnson said.
Holly recently joined the Glendale Police Department after serving a tour in Iraq, Johnson said. His brother, who is also a soldier and Holly's roommate, returned from Iraq just three weeks ago, he said.
"He had been on the force for less than two years," said Paul Frank, a former neighbor and friend of the fallen officer. "He just got out of serving his country and went right into serving his community."
Just after 7 a.m. Monday, Holly responded to a call for back up in which three suspects were stopped, Conrad said. Holly assisted the officer at the scene in arresting the first suspect, who was placed in a police vehicle. The two officers attempted to arrest the second suspect, who then pulled out a gun from his waist, police said. During a gunfire exchange, Holly and the suspect were struck. The gunman tried to get away but was arrested several feet away. Shortly after, the third suspect was arrested without incident, police said.
Debbie Black, 54, who lives in a condo on Oregon Avenue just east of where the shooting occurred, said the injured driver suspected of firing on the officers tried to enter her home.
"He was at my front door, and he had banged on the door and was hollering, 'Help me,' and I think he was asking for something to drink," Black said.
She woke to the sound of her dog barking. The gunshots had roused her husband, and he went out the back door to see what was happening.
She said the injured man was on the sidewalk in front of her door leaning against a brick pillar where she later cleaned the blood off the pavement. His gun was lying below the bedroom window of her son, who had woken up and began praying, Black said.
"It's something that's really scary," she said. "You just never know."
The injured suspect was taken to Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Police would not release the names of the three suspects.
Chief Conrad said he met with Holly's family at the hospital. Holly was single and had no children. He had been with the Glendale police force for two years.
"This is unfamiliar territory for us," Conrad said. "Truly, a tragic day for his family and our department."
According to Johnson, Holly's girlfriend, who arrived in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, was notified by officers there of his death.
Phoenix police Sgt. Joel Tranter said Phoenix police were assisting with the investigation.
The last Glendale officer killed in the line of duty was Sgt. Patrick L. Campbell, who died in 1985.
Peoria police spokesman Mike Tellef saw the news of the tragedy and called his counterpart at the Glendale Police Department to inquire.
"We've never lost a police officer in all 50 years," Tellef said of Peoria police. "We did have an officer who was shot and paralyzed on Dec. 17, 2005. Our thoughts and prayers are with the officer's family and the (Glendale) Police Department."
Black was thankful Sunday night for the arrest of the suspect.
As she spoke, Black's thoughts returned to Holly's family.
"The one thing I would like the family to know is that if it hadn't been for those two officers . . . that guy would have come through our door, so the young officer who was killed wasn't totally killed in vain," she said.
"Let his mama know that I don't feel her son totally died in vain. I know it won't help much. Maybe it will help a little."