DPS trooper shot, 2 others hurt by shrapnel in Phoenix

A DPS trooper was shot and two others were injured by shrapnel in central Phoenix on Thursday night.

What we know:

The Feb. 5 shooting happened near I-17 and Indian School Road at around 7:16 p.m. when Arizona Department of Public Safety SWAT troopers were serving a "high-risk search warrant."

The trooper who was shot in the shoulder was taken to the hospital. 

On Feb. 7, Phoenix Police identified the suspect as 51-year-old Darrelle Bell, who suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound after being shot. He was also taken to the hospital. 

"Preliminary information indicates that DPS troopers were in the area serving an arrest warrant for Bell when the shooting occurred," the department said. He has since been released from the hospital and was booked on charges related to the warrant, along with 18 counts of attempted murder after the shootout with troopers. 

Bell is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond. 

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell at the scene of an incident in Phoenix near I-17 and Indian School Road on Feb. 5, 2026.

Our camera captured Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell at the scene of the shooting. "Thank God these officers will survive. Those who shoot officers will be held accountable," she posted to X.

The night before, on Feb. 4, a DPS helicopter crashed in Flagstaff, killing the pilot and trooper/paramedic. 

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Law enforcement on scene of an incident in Phoenix near I-17 and Indian School Road on Feb. 5, 2026.

What's next:

Police are continuing to investigate what led up to the shooting. 

Map of the area

Crime and Public SafetyPhoenixNews