A federal court security officer was shot near a federal courthouse in Phoenix, Arizona, officials said on Tuesday.
According to the department, the shooting occurred near the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse near 7th Avenue and Jefferson Street.
“If you didn’t think it could happen here, it just did. A federal officer was just shot in front of the Sandra Day O’Connor federal building in a drive by attack,” he wrote.
He placed the blame on Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots across the United States.
“Multiple shots were fired at the officer who was struck in the vest. Injuries are believed to be non life threatening. Make no mistake, this is a direct result of the extremist anti-police attacks we have seen from BLM and Antifa across the country. This insanity needs to stop,” he wrote.
DiCiccio said the victim is a deputized U.S. Marshal who worked at the courthouse.
He confirmed that the police department will now be “moving to two-person patrols” in light of the incident.
A description of the suspect or vehicle was not provided. A motive was also not detailed.
The shooting follows a Saturday ambush attack on two sheriff’s deputies in Los Angeles, which left both in critical condition. Officials are offering a $175,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and capture of the suspect.
In that incident, a person approached the vehicle from behind before opening fire on the two deputies, who were sitting in a vehicle.
The office said any tips can be phoned in at 602-262-6151 or http://silentwitness.org.
