Phoenix, AZ – Authorities have apprehended a man who allegedly opened fire on Phoenix police officers during an incident on Tuesday morning.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, officers responded to a residence near 35th Drive and the Loop 101 around 8 a.m. The call came from a woman who expressed concern about her son, 36-year-old Matthew Beckner-Gonzales, exhibiting unusual behavior.
When officers knocked on the door, both Beckner-Gonzales and his mother answered. However, police immediately noticed that Beckner-Gonzales was holding a gun.
Court documents reveal that Beckner-Gonzales pointed the gun at an officer, but his mother intervened, grabbing his arms as he fired six shots. He then retreated back into the house, discharging several rounds in the direction of the officers. Remarkably, the officers refrained from returning fire and instead ordered him to surrender.
After a brief struggle, police successfully apprehended Beckner-Gonzales without injury to officers or neighbors.
During an interview with law enforcement, Beckner-Gonzales claimed he was “not in control of himself” and that he had been “shooting toward the enemy.” He further alleged that someone else had manipulated him into pulling the trigger on his own firearm.
Beckner-Gonzales faces charges including two counts of aggravated assault on an officer, discharging a firearm within city limits, endangerment, and resisting arrest.