Buckeye officer dead, another critically wounded in southwest Phoenix

by Associated Press (May 1st, 2011 @ 4:23pm)

PHOENIX — A police officer from the west Phoenix suburb of Buckeye has been killed and a second officer critically wounded in an early morning shootout that also left a suspect dead.

Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson says the off-duty officers were working a private security job at a nightclub early Sunday. The officers got into an altercation that ended with gunfire.

The wounded officer suffered multiple gunshot wounds. A second suspect also was wounded and is in critical condition. Police are looking for a third suspect who fled the scene.

Thompson says the shooting happened just after 1 a.m. at a swap meet called El Gran Mercado that also has an open-air nightclub.

The Arizona Republic identified the dead officer as Rolando Tirado and the wounded officer as Christopher Paz.