PHOENIX (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting one Phoenix police officer and Sterling Prestonwounding another has been charged with first-degree murder, prosecutors said Monday.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that a grand jury indicted 41-year-old Saul Bal on four other felony charges: attempt to commit first-degree murder, aggravated assault, burglary in the first degree and misconduct involving weapons.
Mitchell said a trial date for Bal hasn’t been set. Alicia Dominguez, a lawyer for Bal, declined comment on her client’s case.
Bal was arrested hours after Phoenix police officers Zane Coolidge and Matthew Haney were shot while on duty Sept. 3.
The two officers had responded to a call alleging a man was trying to break into a car. Police said the suspect, later identified as Bal, fled the scene before stopping and firing shots at both pursuing officers.
Coolidge, 29, died at a hospital three days later. Haney, 31, was protected from serious injury by his ballistic vest and is recovering at home.
Bal remains jailed on a $2 million cash-only bond.
Prosecutors said Bal has a lengthy criminal history and was on parole from the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry at the time of the shootings.
Coolidge’s funeral was scheduled for Wednesday. The five-year veteran is survived by his wife and the couple’s 5-month-old daughter.
2025-05-07 05:401338 view
2025-05-07 05:00744 view
2025-05-07 04:581060 view
2025-05-07 04:162660 view
2025-05-07 04:11153 view
2025-05-07 03:442051 view
Listen to an audio version of this story below.Humans have the technology to literally make snow fal
Beyoncé wrote a whole song about being cozy and comfortable, so why not with video games too?The wea
Ya filthy animals better give this kid his very own cheese pizza.After all, on Dec. 21, a 6-year-old