Stolen milk leads to suspect's death in shootout with police, authorities say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Peoria resident identified as Michael Stout died Tuesday morning after exchanging gunfire with local police outside a Walmart the previous evening. (Peoria Police Department)
An Arizona man who fired at police officers after allegedly stealing a bottle of milk from a Walmart store was fatally shot when officers returned fire, authorities said.
An employee of the Walmart in Peoria, near Phoenix, had called police around 6 p.m. Monday to report the stolen milk, according to FOX 10 of Phoenix.
PHOENIX POLICE OFFICER, SUSPECT BOTH ‘CRITICAL’ AFTER SHOOTOUT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The suspect was later identified as Michael John Stout, 20, of Peoria. Responding officers said they saw a man matching the employee’s description of Stout standing outside the store’s garden center, the Arizona Republic reported.
After parking the vehicle, one officer got out. Police said Stout fired in their direction, striking multiple rounds into their vehicle. The officer in the vehicle got out and fired back, while the other officer fired from inside the vehicle, police said.
Responding officers said Stout fired multiple rounds at their vehicle. (Peoria Police Department)
The officer’s rounds hit Stout and he fell down, the Republic reported. The officers provided medical assistance to Stout. Police said Stout was transferred to a hospital where he was pronounced dead the following morning, FOX 10 reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Investigators discovered Stout had been using a handgun that was stolen from a vehicle on Monday morning. Video footage from the officers’ body-worn cameras was not immediately available.
No one else was injured during the shooting.