Tempe police identified Matthew Granado as the suspect accused of shooting an officer in the leg before being shot and killed by authorities Friday evening.
The 32-year-old had an active felony drug sales charge and was spotted by a special police unit at the Circle K gas pump on the southwest corner of Rural and Baseline roads, police spokesperson Jessica Ells wrote in a statement.
The Tempe Police Department’s ACTION team was responsible for spotting Granado, a “strong enforcement team assigned to address targeted issues in the city of Tempe,” according to a spokesperson.
Officers who were part of the team spoke with Granado, who drove off on Rural Road and across the street towards Lamplighter Lane. Granado abandoned his vehicle and fled the street on foot when he pulled out a gun and shot at the officers, striking one in the leg, the police statement said.
Officers returned fire and shot Granado, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tempe police had not yet identified the officer injured in the shooting, but said the officer was taken to the hospital and was “recovering after successful surgery.”
The officer-involved shooting would be investigated by the Mesa Police Department, according to the East Valley Critical Response Team, which handles all police-involved shootings.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Matthew Granado identified by Tempe police in shooting of officers
