2 arrested in shooting of Phoenix police detective are charged with attempted murder

Two suspects in the Tuesday shooting of a police detective in Phoenix have been charged with attempted first-degree murder.

They were identified as Ahmani Gordon, 22, and Aaron Ware, 22.

About 12:15 p.m., the unidentified detective with the Phoenix Police Department's Crime Impact Unit was conducting an investigation inside an unmarked vehicle near 35th Avenue and Baseline Road, police said in a news release.

Gordon and Ware, who were in a car together, slowed down next to the detective's car and then continued down the road. Shortly, the car with the men returned, drove past the detective's car and stopped a short distance behind it, police said.

Gordon and Ware got out of the car with guns drawn and masks over their faces, according to police. The detective saw this through the rearview mirror, put on her police ballistic vest and drew her gun.

One of the men stood in front of the detective's car and the other one stood outside the passenger door, and both began firing at the vehicle, according to police. The detective was struck multiple times as she got out of the car. Gordon and Ware then left in their car, police said.

Police determined that about 19 shots were fired through the front passenger side of the detective's vehicle, according to court documents obtained by The Arizona Republic.

No one else was injured during the shooting.

Police said the detective couldn't fire back because of her injuries, and her firearm appeared to have been struck by gunfire and disabled, court documents state. However, she shared information over the radio with other police units in the area.

Officers found the suspect vehicle at a residence near 33rd Avenue and Baseline Road and arrested Gordon and Ware, police officials said.

Phoenix police found multiple expended 9 mm and .40 caliber cartridges in Ware’s pocket, which matched the cartridge types left at the scene, according to court documents.

After obtaining a search warrant for the residence, police discovered a .45 caliber pistol in the garage and a .40 caliber Glock pistol inside the home, according to court documents.

Along with the attempted first-degree murder charge, Gordon and Ware were charged with discharging a firearm at a non-residence.

The detective was recovering in the hospital as of Wednesday. She hadn't been identified, but police said she has served 19 years in the Police Department.

'It's scary right now, it truly is': Phoenix police officers facing more attacks, data shows

9 Phoenix police officers shot in 6 months

Tuesday’s shooting marked the ninth Phoenix police officer shot and 14th injured in the past six months, according to statistics the Phoenix Police Department had previously provided to news organizations.

“I stand before you today, another sad day for our department and our city as yet another Phoenix police officer has been shot in the line of duty,” Phoenix Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Michael Kurtenbach said at a news conference following the shooting.

Phoenix City Councilmember Anne O’Brien also expressed anger about the recent shooting.

“Every day — moms, dads, daughters, sons — they choose to put on a Phoenix police officer uniform, pin a badge to their chest and then choose to go out and protect us," O’Brien said.

O’Brien noted a trend in attacks against police officers, saying that in the past six months, this shooting marks the sixth surprise attack on an officer and the 14th officer shot or injured.

Kurtenbach said there has been a 24% increase in homicides between this summer and last summer, and a 45% increase in homicides involving firearms. He said police are working with local, state and federal partners to address the rise in violent crime.

Phoenix police Chief Jeri Williams testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Gun Violence on the same day this shooting occurred.

Only one Arizona police officer has died in the line of duty this year. White Mountain Apache police Officer Adrian Lopez Sr. was shot and killed on June 2 while attempting a traffic stop on tribal land in Whiteriver.

At least 34 people have been shot at by Arizona police officers as of May 31, according to data tracked and analyzed by The Republic. Phoenix police accounted for at least 12 of those shootings, the data showed.

Republic reporters Gloria Rebecca Gomez, Chelsea Curtis and Sam Burdette contributed to this article.

Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 2 charged with attempted murder in shooting of Phoenix police officer