Troopers: Suspect in Arizona rookie’s death was mentally ill
PHOENIX — A man with a history of mental illness grabbed an Arizona state trooper’s gun and killed a rookie in training and wounded another trooper during a fight along an interstate in suburban Phoenix, authorities said Thursday.
The shooting occurred after troopers responded to reports late Wednesday of a person throwing rocks at vehicles on Interstate 10 roughly 15 miles (24 kilometres) west of downtown Phoenix. Motorists had also pulled over to try to get the suspect off the road, according to Arizona Department of Public Safety officials.
A fight ensued when troopers tried to get 20-year-old Isaac D. King off the roadway. Trooper Tyler Edenhofer, 24, was shot and killed during the struggle. He was in his last week of field training.
“He’d been one of my troopers for 52 days,” said DPS Col. Frank Milstead.