KGUN 9NewsLocal News

Actions

Phoenix police: Officer struck by vehicle dies

Posted at 12:37 PM, Mar 21, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-21 15:37:25-04

PHOENIX (AP) - A Phoenix Police Department spokesman says an officer has died after being struck by a vehicle at a collision scene Thursday.

Sgt. Tommy Thompson says Officer Paul Rutherford was struck while on the roadway and died after being transported to a hospital in extremely critical condition.

Thompson said Rutherford was 51 years old, had been an officer for nearly 23 years, was married and had two adult children.

Police Chief Jeri Williams said Phoenix "has a reason to mourn because once again one of our officers was killed in the line of duty."

Thompson said the driver of the vehicle that struck Rutherford remained at the scene and that the investigation was in its early stages.

The incident occurred near West Indian School Road and North 75th Avenue.