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On May 6, 2025, at approximately 9:40 a.m., a uniformed Tucson Police Department officer was seriously injured while attempting to arrest a shoplifting suspect outside a convenience store located in the 6300 block of East Golf Links Road.
The TPD officer, who was inside the store, witnessed a male suspect assault a store employee. The officer immediately intervened at which point the suspect fled from the officer on foot. The officer pursued the suspect and gave repeated commands to stop, which the suspect ignored. The officer caught up with the suspect in the parking lot, where the suspect turned and attacked him. The officer fought with the suspect and attempted to take him into custody despite sustaining facial injuries. Additional officers arrived and took the suspect into custody as he continued to physically resist arrest. The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Richard Rene Lopez.
The injured officer, identified as a 9-year veteran of the department, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Additional responding officers transported the officer to an area hospital for treatment. Lopez, was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation. The store employee was not harmed. Detectives from the Aggravated Assault Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. They determined that Lopez assaulted the store employee after being confronted for shoplifting. Investigators also learned that Lopez has a lengthy criminal history and several active warrants for his arrest. Two bystanders who witnessed the altercation stepped in to assist the injured officer.
Lopez is currently receiving medical care at a local hospital and once released will be charged and booked into Pima County Jail on the charges of Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, Aggravated Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Aggravated Assault Causing Serious Injury. The Tucson Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to the community members who assisted the officer during this dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.
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