Ariz. deputy shot, killed trying to arrest suspect

By Suzie Ziegler 

YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — An investigation is underway after Sgt. Richard Lopez, 51, was shot and killed in the line of duty on Tuesday, reported Fox 10. 

Lopez was trying to arrest a theft suspect when an altercation ensued, although details remain unclear, said Sheriff David Rhodes. Neighbors called 911 to report an officer in distress and responding deputies found Lopez unresponsive, the report said. Lopez was rushed to a hospital but died of his injuries, Rhodes told Fox 10. 

The suspect barricaded himself for hours until a SWAT team ultimately arrested him, police said. The suspect was not immediately identified but has been charged with first-degree murder, according to the report. 

"We are saddened, heartbroken, and above all, angry," Rhodes said during a news conference early Wednesday. "We lost an incredible member of the YCSO family today, we lost a friend, we lost a mentor, we lost a father, we lost a husband, we lost a community servant, to a senseless act of murderous violence against law enforcement." 

Lopez was a 14-year veteran of the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, police said. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.