Officer Shoots at Alleged Illegal Immigrants

Published : Sunday, 05 Feb 2012, 4:57 PM MST

FLORENCE, Ariz. - An officer-involved shooting may have involved as many as seven illegal immigrants.

The shooting occurred just outside of Florence, near the Hunt Highway and Felix. That’s about 60 miles southeast of the valley.

An officer with the Florence Police Department attempted to pull over a black pickup truck that stuck out to that officer for a couple of reasons.
No. 1 -- this happened early in the morning, so there weren't many vehicles out on the road, and No. 2 -- the officer says the truck appeared to be having some mechanical problems.

Just before 7 a.m., the officer ran the license tag on the black 1995 Ford Ranger and discovered it was registered to an address in Tucson -- and its insurance had been suspended.

“He activated his emergency equipment. The vehicle pulled to the side of the road. As the vehicle came to a stop, all the occupants of the vehicle exited the vehicle,” said Larry Lawrence, of the Florence Police Dept.

Police say there were as many as seven Hispanic men inside the truck that has since been towed away to be processed.

At the sight of the flashing lights, they bailed out and took off running into the desert.

The officer managed to stop one male suspect, but police say that's when two of his accomplices turned toward that officer.

He says he thought he spotted what appeared to be a weapon.

“He felt his life was in danger. It was a black object -- thinking it was a handgun -- and fired the one shot -- at least one shot,” Lawrence said.
Police don't believe anyone was hit by gunfire. The suspect who was caught was identified as 38-year-old Mariano Guerro Florentino.

Search crews combed the desert for his accomplices but were unable to locate them.

Florentino -- a suspected illegal immigrant -- was transported to the ICE office in Florence.

Police did not release any information about the officer involved in all this, who has been placed on administrative leave while they investigate.
My Fox Phoenix