MESA — A Mesa police officer was hurt early Thursday when someone threw an explosive device near his patrol car in east Mesa, police said, according to ABC15.
The officer had been answering a routine call near 96th Street and Sunland Avenue when the device went off shortly before 6 a.m., ABC15 reported. He was taken to a hospital and later released, according to Mesa police.
Video recorded by a neighbor and shared with ABC15 appears to show a burning object being tossed onto the ground near the police car before it explodes in a bright flash. The Mesa Police Department later posted a photo of the damaged patrol car on social media.
Police initially detained three people. Late Thursday, Mesa police Det. Cervantez said two men, Christopher Byasse, 58, and Christopher Jones, 55, were being booked into a Maricopa County jail, ABC15 reported.
Police said Byasse is expected to face felony charges including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and arson, and Jones is expected to face arson and criminal damage charges. Both were expected in court Friday. The charges are allegations, and both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Neighbors told ABC15 that fireworks are common in the area, but the blast was much brighter than usual. One longtime resident said heavy police activity on the street has become more frequent in the past year.
Sources: ABC15 Arizona. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Brett Gustafson / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
