Thread: PHX Office Shot by Illegal Alien, Police Shoot, Kill Suspect

Officer Dies Of Gunshot Wound; Police Shoot, Kill Suspect

POSTED: 9:27 am PDT September 18, 2007
UPDATED: 8:12 pm PDT September 18, 2007


PHOENIX -- Phoenix police Tuesday shot and killed a man suspected of shooting and killing an officer, carjacking a vehicle and taking a man hostage.

"It is an unfortunate situation I have to inform you that the City of Phoenix has suffered another tragedy," said Mike Frazier, assistant police chief.

"We lost an officer who was killed in the line of duty," Frazier said.

Police said two officers, Nick Erfle and Rob Rodarme, stopped two women and a man who were jaywalking near 24th Street and Thomas Road around 8:30 a.m.

Police said the officers asked the three for identification and learned the man, who identified himself as 24-year-old Anthony Sanchez, had a misdemeanor warrant out for his arrest. Phoenix police Sgt. Joel Tranter later said Sanchez was one of many aliases used by the man.

The man was later identified as Erik Jovani Martinez.

Erfle walked back to Martinez and began to arrest him, Tranter said. Rodarme was nearby with the two female subjects.

A physical confrontation quickly ensued and Martinez pulled a handgun and fired multiple shots, Tranter said. One of them struck Erfle.

(From the AZ Dept. of Correction web site)
MARTINEZ ERIK J 04/18/1985

Gender Height (inches) Weight Hair Color
MALE 67 182 BLACK

Eye Color Ethnic Origin Custody Class Inmate / Detainee
BROWN MEXICAN NATIONAL 2/3 INMATE

Sentence (yyymmdd) Admission Prison Release Date Max End Date
001/00/00 01/23/2006 06/07/2006 06/07/2006

Cur. Absconded Hist. Absconded Release Type Most Recent Loc.
-- -- COMM SUP END DT [info] ASPC - TUCSON

(SIGH) WHAT WAS THIS GUY EVEN DOING IN OUR COUNTRY? HE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND HE HAS A RECORD SO IT IS NOT LIKE THEY DIDNT HAVE HIM AT SOME POINT.

Phoenix police officer shot, killed in jaywalking stop

Teana Wagner, John Faherty, Nikki Renner and Judi Villa
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 18, 2007 10:40 AM

Video at this link:
http://www.azcentral.com/video/


Officer Nick Erfle, a father of two and an eight-year-veteran with the Phoenix Police Department, was shot and killed this morning.

One hour later, the suspect was shot and killed by another officer.

The violent morning started at approximately 8:30 when two officers approached three people for jaywalking and obstructing traffic on 24th Street one block north of Thomas Road.

Police say the officers then did a record check on the three - a man and two women - and found that the man had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest for shoplifting in Tucson. Police found that the name given by the man was not his real name.

Police later learned the suspect's identity was 22-year-old Erik Jovani Martinez.

When the officers tried to arrest Martinez, he shoved one, pulled out a handgun and fired several shots according to police reports.

One officer was shot in the face and fatally wounded. His partner was not hit and chased Martinez south on 24th Street but could not return fire because there was too much traffic.

Police say Martinez then ran to the intersection at 24th Street and Thomas Road and carjacked a beige sedan at gunpoint.

The driver of that car remained behind the wheel while Martinez sat in the passenger seat.

Witnesses were able to give police a description of the vehicle and a license plate.

One hour later an unmarked Special Assignments Unit officer spotted a car and a man matching Martinez's description.

They began surveillance of the car and managed to box it in at 27th Avenue and McDowell Road.

Police say the Martinez then pointed his gun at the hostage. An officer then shot and killed Martinez. The driver of the sedan was not injured.

By that time, the wounded officer had been rushed to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, but he could not be saved.

His fellow officers started arriving at the hospital to keep vigil.

This has been a particularly violent year for Valley police officers.

Officer Anthony Holly of the Glendale Police was shot and killed during a traffic stop in February.

Phoenix Police Officer George Cortez Jr. was killed in July after responding to a call about a bad check.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 1N.html

Officer slain; gunman takes hostage, is killed
Jaywalker shoots 8-year police veteran
Judi Villa, Lindsey Collom and John Faherty
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 19, 2007 12:00 AM

Phoenix police Officer Nick Erfle survived two bouts of cancer to put back on his uniform and patrol the city's streets.

On Tuesday, a jaywalker shot him in the face and killed him.

"He's a hard charger. Even though he had a serious illness, he came back to work the streets as soon as he could," Sgt. Joel Tranter said.

"This will affect the officer's family and the Phoenix Police Department forever. . . . It will always be a loss."

The gunman, an illegal immigrant who had been deported last year, fled after shooting Erfle, commandeering a stopped car at gunpoint and ordering the motorist to drive. About an hour later, a Phoenix police tactical team surrounded Erik Jovani Martinez, 22, on a west Phoenix street and shot him dead as he pointed a gun at the hostage. The hostage was not hurt.

"The city of Phoenix, the citizens of Phoenix have lost another hero in our community," Assistant Phoenix Police Chief Michael Frazier said, announcing Erfle's death. "He died a hero doing the job he loved doing most."

Erfle was the second Phoenix police officer killed since July and the third Valley officer killed this year. He was married with two children and had a large extended family.

"This is another tragic day for the citizens of Phoenix. We have lost one of our family," said Dave Siebert, the city's vice mayor. "This has happened way too many times in the city of Phoenix. . . . He was one of our finest."

Martinez, who had three children, was a gang member with a history of drug abuse, police say. He was convicted of theft in 2004 and served a short stint in prison in 2006. Immigration officials confirmed he had been deported in March 2006.


A deadly morning
Police say Erfle, 33, and Officer Rob Rodarme were patrolling in a two-man car around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when they saw three people jaywalking across 24th Street near Pinchot Avenue, interfering with traffic.

The two officers stopped the three, a man and two women, on Pinchot to talk to them and asked for identification. Police rarely issue citations for jaywalking, telling people instead to just cross at a safer spot in the future, Tranter said.

The man didn't have identification but gave officers a name and birth date that Erfle ran through a police computer. That search turned up a misdemeanor warrant for shoplifting out of Tucson.

Police would later find out the man hadn't given his real name. Martinez likely used an alias because he was trying to hide the fact he had felony warrants for aggravated assault and false imprisonment, stemming from a 2006 domestic-violence incident.

But the officers didn't know any of that and tried to arrest him on the misdemeanor warrant.

That's when Martinez shoved Erfle to the ground, pulled a gun and fired multiple times. Police said it all happened in a matter of seconds.

"There was three shots, and there was a pause, and then one more shot," said Bob Newnum, who lives nearby.

Rodarme ran after the fleeing suspect but couldn't return fire because the area was too crowded, Tranter said.

Police flooded into the area. Newnum said Erfle's body was facedown across a sidewalk, with his feet partly in the street. His partner was kneeling over Erfle, cursing.

"It's a shame," Newnum said. "I'm all choked up. I'm a real admirer of the police force. They go above and beyond all the time, and when one of them get hurts, it really bothers me."

Roger Elliott, who works nearby, came outside after a maintenance man told him to dial 911.

"Oh, my God, there was just blood all over the place," Elliott said. "I can't even describe it. I've never seen anything like it."

"There was no movement at all. . . . I'm sure he was dead."

Elliott said it took three officers to pull Rodarme away from his partner. Paramedics pumped on Erfle's chest before whisking him away in an ambulance.

"It was just a feeling I will never, ever forget," Elliott said. "I just cannot believe it. . . . It's such a stupid thing."

After the shooting, the assailant ran to the intersection of 24th Street and Thomas Road, where he carjacked the sedan. Witnesses were able to give police a description of the vehicle and a license plate.

One hour later, a tactical officer in an unmarked car spotted the stolen vehicle with a passenger matching the suspect's description. Officers began a covert surveillance of the vehicle and managed to box it in near 27th Avenue and McDowell Road.

The suspect raised his gun to the hostage, and an officer fired through a window once, killing him, Detective Bob Ragsdale said.

The two women did not flee after Erfle was shot. They were questioned by police and were cooperative, Tranter said. Police don't anticipate filing any charges against the women.


A life cut short
Erfle had been an officer for eight years. He was pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m.

In Erfle's north Phoenix neighborhood Tuesday night, Tiana Iannuzzi, 17, tearfully remembered the officer as a playful and patient family man who never raised his voice. Iannuzzi baby-sat for Erfle's two sons, ages 3 and 5, and said the officer was "a great guy."

Erfle had twice battled testicular cancer.

"We miss him a lot," said Tiana's mother, Carmella Iannuzzi. "He was just so strong during his cancer treatment. It's just very sad. He was just an all-around good guy."

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon was vacationing in Hawaii when he heard of the officer's death and was trying to make arrangements to get back to the city.

He issued a statement, saying, "Once again, a hero has died too young."

"He and his wife were still making the plans all young couples make," Gordon said.

"Today, they are left with too few memories and too much heartache. I share the grief of a caring community and continue to pray for his family."

Earlier in the day, Virginia Roper, who owns Amy's Beauty Salon on 24th Street, said she heard the police cars swarming the area and figured something serious must be happening.

Her eyes welled when she heard Erfle had been killed.

"I feel sorry for his family," said Roper, whose son-in-law is a Chandler police officer.

"They work so hard, and their life is always on the line," she said. "It's just very sad. Very, very sad."

Gary Dubay watched the aftermath from the parking lot of Phoenix Bicycle, where he works.

"I don't know how to react to something like that," Dubay said. "He was just stopping those people, and all of a sudden that breaks out. It's pretty crazy."


A series of tragedies
This has been a particularly violent year for Valley police officers.

Glendale police Officer Anthony Holly was shot and killed during a traffic stop in February. Phoenix police Officer George Cortez Jr. was killed in July after responding to a call about a bad check.

And now, just two months later, Erfle is dead.

"This just illustrates how dangerous police work is," Tranter said.

"You can contact someone for anything, a speeding ticket, jaywalking, walking down the sidewalk. What initially may be perceived as a simple contact, you could be dealing with a dangerous suspect."

Erfle was described as a well-respected, hard-working and dedicated officer who didn't allow his fight with cancer to sideline him.

Tranter said the officer even turned down a light-duty desk job to get back to patrol.

"He's a police officer. Rather than have a non-enforcement office assignment, he chose to get back in uniform and back on the street as quickly as he could," Tranter said.

"He will be greatly missed."

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... t0919.html

Officer's killer was arrested 2 months after deportation
Judi Villa and Carol Sowers
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 19, 2007 03:39 PM

The illegal immigrant who fatally shot a Phoenix police officer on Tuesday had been arrested by Scottsdale police last year, just two months after he was deported from the country.

Scottsdale police say they did not know Erik Jovani Martinez, 22, had been deported in March 2006, following a felony conviction for theft.

Martinez was jailed after Scottsdale police arrested him in May 2006, when he was accused of grabbing his girlfriend's arm twice to keep her from leaving.

Had Scottsdale police realized Martinez had been deported and re-entered the country illegally, they could have held him and he would have faced prison time.

Instead, Martinez posted $300 bond and was released.

Phoenix police Officer Nick Erfle, 33, was shot in the face and killed Tuesday after he and another officer stopped Martinez and two women for jaywalking near 24th Street and Pinchot Avenue. Martinez then carjacked a man before police boxed in the vehicle an hour later. A tactical officer killed Martinez when Martinez raised a gun and threatened his hostage.

Martinez initially gave police a fake name when he was stopped. Phoenix police say Martinez had a felony warrant for aggravated assault stemming from an incident in June 2006, when he was accused of hitting his girlfriend and threatening her with a shotgun. Lt. Benny Piña said detectives identified Martinez as a suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest in January 2007. But Martinez was never caught.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... t0919.html

J.D. Hayworth on his radio show today said, of the last 7 Phoenix Police Officers killed in the line of duty, 5 were killed by illegal aliens.