Shootout between a man and Tucson police on Sunday night left K-9 officer and man injured
A K-9 officer and a man were injured after an exchange of gunfire between the man and Tucson police at a park on Sunday night.
Just before 8:30 p.m., Tucson police responded to reports of a man armed with a gun experiencing a crisis at Gene C. Reid Park.
Before officers arrived, mental health professionals with the Tucson Public Safety Communications Department attempted to speak on the phone with the man to help settle him down, police said.
Tucson police officers on the way to the scene were informed that PSCD received additional 911 calls, this time reporting gunfire in the park. Police located the man and made visual confirmation that he had a gun, police said.
Police evacuated the park and the surrounding area.
Officers with Tucson's Hostage Negotiations Unit, K-9 and SWAT teams responded to the scene.
A police sergeant with "advanced training in hostage negotiation and crisis intervention" spoke with the suspect until a proper hostage negotiator arrived, according to police.
Police said the suspect then began to move away from officers to an open area of the park.
The K-9 officer was then deployed, and that's when police said the suspect and officers both fired their guns, hitting the suspect and the K-9.
Police are still investigating who shot first.
Police rendered immediate first aid to the suspect and the wounded K-9 with their individual first aid kits.
The suspect was taken to Banner University Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. His identity was not released.
The K-9 officer was transported to Valley Animal Hospital and is currently in stable condition.
Police said no other injuries were reported.
The Pima Regional Critical Incident Team handled a criminal investigation alongside the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
Tucson Police Department's Office of Professional Standard also conducted a separate but parallel investigation to determine whether police misconduct was a factor, according to the news release.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: K-9 officer and man injured in shootout with Tucson police
