* Phoenix Police Officer Travis Murphy Shot and Killed While Contacting a Suspicious Person-Watch Newscast Here

Published by Junior Staff Writer on June 15, 2010

On Wednesday, May 26, 2010, Phoenix Police Officer Travis P. Murphy was shot and killed when he confronted a suspect who had fled the scene of a shots fired call earlier in the night.

Officers in a neighboring precinct responded to a report of shots fired. When they arrived, the perpetrator had fled, but they transmitted a description of the suspect’s vehicle over their radios. Several minutes later, dispatchers received reports that a man was seen attempting to hide a vehicle under a tarp at a vacant home. Officer Murphy, along with several officers, responded to the scene and started searching for the man on foot.

Officer Murphy encountered the suspect and was shot 10 times in the legs and lower abdomen. Other officers immediately placed him in a patrol car and took him to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds a short time later.

The suspect was taken into custody after being found hiding in a nearby shed.

Officer Murphy had served with the Phoenix Police Department for four and a half years. He is survived by his wife, 2-year-old daughter, and 2-week-old son. Watch Newscasts Below