BREAKING NEWS PHOENIX
Mesa and Phoenix police, along with Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers, were involved in a shooting Monday evening on Interstate 17 near the Central Avenue overpass.
Both directions of the interstate were closed between Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue while troopers tried to stop a person in a white truck, local television helicopter pictures showed.
Initial reports said the person was armed. Helicopter footage showed what appeared to be a standoff on the freeway moments after a Department of Public Safety vehicle rear-ended the truck, aiming to stop it.
The incident apparently began in Mesa. The Mesa Police Association described the incident on its Facebook page as a shooting with "an extremely violent suspect who showed absolutely zero regard for innocent civilians when he opened fire in the middle of the freeway.''
The association said no officers were hit in an exchange of gunfire, but gave no other details.
Officials from the three agencies said they planned to release more details Monday evening.
Major traffic backups were occurring on the freeway after the shutdown. Police began turning traffic around on the freeway at about 6:30 p.m. to clear backed up traffi