PHOENIX — The suspect who was allegedly involved in a domestic violence incident in August that led to a shooting involving police on the US 60 in Mesa has been indicted, prosecutors announced Friday.
Joseph Ortiz, 37, is facing a total of eight charges related to the Aug. 10 incident, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO). The charges include:
- One felony count of kidnapping.
- Two felony counts of aggravated assault.
- One felony count of unlawful flight.
- One misdemeanor count of theft.
- One misdemeanor count of criminal damage.
- One misdemeanor count of reckless driving.
- One misdemeanor count of obstructing a highway.
Ortiz is being held on a $150,000 bond and his trial has not yet been scheduled, according to MCAO.
Details of domestic violence incident that led to police shooting on US 60
The domestic violence incident took place around 4 p.m. on Aug. 10, when a man called 911 to report that someone had broken into his apartment near Country Club Drive and Broadway Road, grabbed a knife out of a drawer and began threatening a woman, according to the Mesa Police Department (MPD).
The suspect, now identified as Ortiz, also tried to drag one of the victims into his blue Toyota Tacoma, according to prosecutors.
Ortiz was later seen by officers leaving the complex in the truck.
Officers pursued Ortiz as he allegedly drove through multiple city streets and parking lots before attempting to get onto the US 60 at Alma School Road, police said.
That’s when an officer attempted to stop Ortiz by using a pursuit intervention technique (PIT) maneuver, but it was unsuccessful, MPD added.
Ortiz then turned down the embankment and stopped his truck near a concrete barrier. After coming to a stop, he got out of the truck and ran across both the west- and eastbound lanes of traffic on the US 60, according to police.
While he was in the eastbound lanes, body camera footage shows Ortiz reach into his waistband and pull out an object while yelling, “I’ve got a gun!”
That is when an officer shot him.
Ortiz was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
No officers were hurt.
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