Archive
OFFICER DOWN GILBERT ARIZONA
Gilbert Police Department
Arizona
End of Watch: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: 12 years
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Shot and wounded
Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler was shot and killed after stopping a vehicle occupied by two males near the intersection of Val Vista Road and Baseline Road, near the border of Gilbert and Mesa.
After pulling into the parking lot of a strip mall shot were exchanged between Lieutenant Shuhandler and the suspects. Lieutenant Shuhandler was fatally wounded in the exchange.
Two sergeants from the Mesa Police Department heard the shot and found Lieutenant Shuhandler at the same time as Gilbert police received a 911 call reporting the shooting. He was transported to a local hospital where he died from his wound.
The suspects were located minutes later and a 50-mile high-speed chase began along Highway 60, with several units pursuing the pickup through Phoenix-area communities. The suspects fired several rounds and threw objects from their vehicle at the pursuing officers. The vehicle abruptly stopped in the town of Superior, and both suspects were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with officers from four agencies. Both suspects were arrested at the scene.
Lieutenant Shuhandler had served with the Gilbert Police Department for 12 years.
Agency Contact Information
Gilbert Police Department
75 E. Civic Center Drive
Gilbert, AZ 85296
Phone: (480) 503-6500
Please contact the Gilbert Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
