Shoplifting attempt leads to officer firing at armed suspect at Phoenix Walmart

A man is in custody after a shoplifting attempt ended in an officer-involved shooting at a Walmart Supercenter in south Phoenix, police said at a Saturday news conference.

Just before 11 a.m. Saturday, a loss prevention employee at a Walmart Supercenter at 35th and Southern avenues noticed a man believed to be shoplifting. An off-duty Phoenix police officer who was in the area near the store was alerted of the shoplifting attempt, police said.

The police officer, who was still in full uniform, went to assist the loss prevention employee when the man pulled out a gun and pointed it at both the officer and the loss prevention employee, police said. The officer then fired his gun in an attempt to shoot the man and missed him.

The man then ran through the store and fled into a nearby neighborhood through the back exit, prompting officers to do a grid search of the area. Officers found the man in the neighborhood and arrested him without incident, police said.

“I’m happy to report that nobody suffered any serious injuries here today," said Sgt. Phil Krynsky, a spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department.

The Walmart Supercenter will remain closed while officers conduct an investigation, police said.

Phoenix police did not identify the suspect as of Saturday evening.

Police are asking any shoppers who were inside the Walmart at the time of the incident to contact the Phoenix Police Department at 602-262-6151 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Shoplifting leads to officer firing at armed suspect at Phoenix store