Suspected gunman in custody after drive-by shooting wounds security officer outside US courthouse in downtown Phoenix

A drive-by shooting wounded a federal security officer outside the U.S. courthouse in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, and a person was later taken into custody, authorities said.
The officer was taken to a hospital and was expected to recover, according to city police and the FBI. Jill McCabe, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Phoenix office, said the suspected shooter was later detained and there was no indication of a further threat to the public.
The court security officer works for the U.S. Marshals Service and was struck in their protective vest at around 11:30am, said a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.
A surveillance photo shows a silver sedan that police say was used by a suspected gunman to shoot a security officer outside the Sandra Day O'Connor US Courthouse in Phoenix on Tuesday
A surveillance photo shows a silver sedan that police say was used by a suspected gunman to shoot a security officer outside the Sandra Day O'Connor US Courthouse in Phoenix on Tuesday
The officer (not pictured) provides security for the US Marshals Service at the courthouse
The officer (not pictured) provides security for the US Marshals Service at the courthouse
Federal law enforcement officers patrol outside the courthouse following the morning shooting
Federal law enforcement officers patrol outside the courthouse following the morning shooting
The officer was checking a UPS truck that was making a delivery at the time of the shooting, according to AZFamily.com.
'When he heard the gunshots, he went down to the ground and he heard them hit his vehicle on the passenger side but he also saw one of the federal marshals hit the ground and grab his chest,' said Mitchell Gallagher, a UPS union representative.
The driver told Gallagher that the security officer fired at the suspect as he fled.
'Thank God for the federal marshal had his vest on so we're very thankful for that,' said Gallagher.

Court security officers work under the direction of the U.S. Marshals Service but generally are employed by private security companies.
The FBI said it isn't providing any more details as it investigates. Police had released a photo of a silver sedan spotted leaving the area around the Sandra Day O´Connor U.S. Courthouse.
Hours after the shooting, a street surrounding the courthouse was closed to traffic, roped off by yellow tape with police officers standing on each corner. Armed federal officers talked outside the main entrance to the courthouse, which was still open to the public, according to a court clerk.
The shooting came after the weekend ambush of two Los Angeles County deputies. They were sitting in their parked vehicle when a man walked up to the passenger´s side and fired multiple rounds.
The deputies were struck in the head and critically wounded but were expected to recover. The gunman hasn´t been captured, and a motive has not been determined.
Police cars close off a street outside the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse in Phoenix,
Police cars close off a street outside the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse in Phoenix,
Federal law enforcement personnel patrol outside the courthouse
Federal law enforcement personnel patrol outside the courthouse
Federal courthouses have been flashpoints for recent violence, but it's not clear who shot the officer in Phoenix or why.
In June, a federal security officer was shot and killed and his partner was wounded outside the federal courthouse in Oakland as they guarded the building during protests over racial injustice and police brutality. An Air Force sergeant was charged with the shooting, and prosecutors say he had ties to the far-right, anti-government 'boogaloo' movement and used the protest as cover for the crime and his escape.
During demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, protesters and federal officers clashed at the federal courthouse, where people set fires and tossed fireworks and rocks, while federal authorities unleashed tear gas and made arrests.
Suspected gunman in custody after drive-by shooting wounds security officer outside US courthouse in downtown Phoenix Suspected gunman in custody after drive-by shooting wounds security officer outside US courthouse in downtown Phoenix Reviewed by CUZZ BLUE on September 16, 2020 Rating: 5

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