PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – Phoenix police say a man has been arrested after he began shooting as officers were chasing him in downtown Phoenix Sunday night.
Officers were responding to a call near 1st and Roosevelt streets around 8:30 p.m. when 30-year-old Anthony Jones reportedly approached them. Court documents say Jones and the officers began talking, but one of the officers then told Jones he needed to back away after he saw a gun in Jones’ pocket. Jones then walked away from the officers. When officers finished the original call, they went to find Jones.
Offices found Jones and tried to stop him for his erratic behavior. Jones then ran away down an alley. As the officers were chasing Jones through the alley, they saw a flash and heard a gunshot, investigators said. Police say Jones continued running and shooting several times. The officers then lost Jones after he ran into a crowded parking lot.
Backup officers arrived and were stopped by the owner of a nearby gym. Court documents say the owner told police he had surveillance video of Jones shooting several times before running into the gym near Central Avenue and Roosevelt Street. The video shows Jones using a key fob to go to the second floor of the gym carrying a gun with an extended magazine. He then reportedly changed his clothes and walked out wearing a different outfit.
Investigators say officers searched the gym and found the clothes, a gun magazine and Jones’ wallet with his ID. Court paperwork says the gym owner confirmed Jones was a member and joined several months prior. He also told police Jones had a key fob that gave him access to the gym.
Police tracked down Jones and took him into custody at an apartment complex near 5th Avenue and Roosevelt Street. According to court documents, as officers arrested him, they found he was carrying a gun with an extended magazine, which matched the bullets found at the crime scene.
In an interview with police, Jones admitted to running away from the officers, saying he was afraid they would hurt him, investigators said. Court paperwork says he admitted to shooting in the air to scare the officers away but denied shooting at them. He also reportedly told police he went inside the gym and changed his clothes.
Jones was booked on two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and one count of discharging a firearm in city limits. No officers were hurt.
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