Shoot Spree in Tucson

Yesterday my sister called me to let Jeremy and I know that there had been a shooting involving 3 cops. 2 Deputies(same dept that Jeremy works for) and 1 Tucson police officer. My heart sunk as she told me about what she heard.

The chase began Sunday morning after residents reported shots fired by a man driving a red Ford Mustang. Deputy Eric Cervantez saw the suspect, who fired at him; Cervantez was shot in the shoulder as he returned fire. Cervantez chased the suspect despite being injured but lost sight of him. A second deputy spotted the car and picked up the chase.

The suspect then shot Tucson police Officer Erik Hite apparently after making an abrupt U-turn. Hite, shot in the head, had been sitting in his car.

"From what preliminary information I have, I'm going to say it bluntly that Officer Hite was ambushed," Miranda said. "There was some thought behind what the shooter did."

Hite was flown by helicopter to University Medical Center.

Hite, 43, was critically injured in one of those shootouts and was on life support Sunday at University Medical Center, Miranda said. Hite is a four-year veteran of the department and a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Miranda said. He is the father of a baby girl who is not yet 1 year old as well as a grown son who serves in the military. (Jeremy called me at 12:50 to let me know that Officer Hite had passed away. They were keeping him on life support until his family could come to town to see him)

The suspect was able to flee again after shooting Hite and headed north up Catalina Highway. They found him again driving up Catalina Highway on the way to Mount Lemmon. At milepost 1.5, he shot at Deputy Schwartz, grazing him in the head.

At about 11 a.m., more than an hour after the incident began, the suspect pulled off the road near the Molino Basin campground and gave up. He was arrested and taken into custody.

This hits SO close to home, its so scary to think it happened so close. Jeremy told me last night that the bullet proff vest that they have to wear will NOT stop the bullets that guy was shooting. He was shooting and AR(assault Rifle). I know that something like this doesn't happen very often but still it happened. I fell for officer Hites family. I would be a total train wreck. Its so emotional to even really think about it.

One thing that upsets me is. The Arizona Daily star posted a picture picture of Hite down on the ground and 2 officers tending to him and you see blood. How can they honestly post a picture of that? I mean come on. Jeremy had talked to a couple TPD officers today while in Tucson and they all are very upset with the newspaper for putting a picture like that in there.