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The man accused of shooting three Chandler police officers, barricading himself inside a home and later starting a fire inside the homeon Monday was identified as 35-year-old Rigoberto Polanco Jimenez, police officials said Tuesday.
Jimenez told police of his involvement in Monday’s events, and he is suspected of being involved in a shooting on Friday, according to Maricopa County court records. He is being held in a Maricopa County jail.
The records also contained additional details about Monday’s shootings.
The series of events began around 1 a.m. when Chandler officers were patrolling near Delaware Street and Chandler Boulevard and noticed Jimenez’s “suspicious behavior,” according to court records. An officer saw him pull on car door handles, “a common practice of vehicle burglars,” Chandler Police Department spokesman Det. Seth Tyler said.
Officers tried to stop Jimenez but he ran and shot an officer in the leg.
“Jimenez continued running northbound and began jumping fences through backyards, cutting his hand and leaving a blood trail along his route,” according to court records.
Later, video surveillance from neighbors showed Jimenez traveling near a home on north Delaware Street near Galveston Street that was not his. Residents at that home allowed detectives inside around 7:15 a.m. to search for “any unknown persons.”
Six officers went into the house and found Jimenez hiding in the bathroom. Jimenez shot at the officers, hitting one in the upper chest/shoulder and another in his waist/pelvic area. The other four officers were not hit.
According to police, the second officer shot was wearing a bulletproof vest, but he had a laceration on his head. The gunfire hit the third officer in his magazine holder.
The three officers who were shot were later released from the hospital, Chandler police tweeted Monday afternoon. Those officers were not identified.
After the officers were hit, they returned fire and shot Jimenez.
The officers left the house and formed a perimeter.
“All six victim officers (inside the home) indicated fear for their life and believed the suspect was shooting at them intentionally,” the court records stated.
SWAT officers arrived as Jimenez barricaded himself inside the house, refusing to come outside. He also barricaded “several entry points in the residence,” according to court records. The standoff continued for several hours.
“Eventually, negotiations with Jimenez ended and S.W.A.T. carried out a number of non-lethal measures to remove Jimenez from the residence,” but Jimenez remained in the home, Tyler said.
Jimenez “intentionally started a fire inside the residence,” using a torch to ignite a cardboard box and other items he was using as a barricade, according to court records. The fire burned the entire home.
Jimenez escaped the residence as the fire and smoke grew. He jumped to the adjacent patio of an apartment and “forced entry” into that residence, according to court records.
Jimenez caused “extensive damage,” totaling more than $100,000 to the apartment and eventually was taken into custody.
He was taken to a hospital to receive treatment and was later released.
In an interview with police, Jimenez admitted to involvement in Monday’s events. He said he did not realize the first person he shot was a police officer, according to court records.
Jimenez is also suspected of being involved in a previous shooting April 24. He admitted to police that he shot the victim in that incident with the same gun used to shoot the police officers Monday, according to court records.
“Jimenez is a convicted felon and has not restored his civil rights and can not possess a firearm,” according to court records.
He faces possible charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault of an officer, endangerment, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal damage, possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, arson of an occupied structure, second-degree burglary, and unlawful discharge.
Jimenez is being held on a $3 million bond, and he is scheduled to appear in court May 5.
Reach breaking news reporter Alyssa Stoney at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @stoney_alyssa.
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