Officer injured, suspect in custody after Apache Junction shooting

The officer and suspect were injured by gunfire and both were taken to the hospital on Monday.

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. — An officer was injured Monday after gunfire was exchanged with a suspect in Apache Junction, authorities said, and was identified on Tuesday. 

The Apache Junction Police Department said the shooting happened near Ironwood Drive and Elliot Road on Monday morning.

According to police, a suspect is in custody and undergoing treatment for “life-threatening” injuries. The police officer has been described as being in critical condition. 

The initial call made to police was about a man brandishing a weapon. Officers stopped the 37-year-old man near Radiance Avenue, where he exited a vehicle with a gun, police officials said.

Shots were fired between the suspect and an officer. Both were injured by the gunfire and taken to the hospital.  

The Apache Junction police chief said the officer was shot in the face and remains in critical condition as of Tuesday. 

AJPD has identified the injured officer as Officer Gabriel Facio, who has been working for the department for about three years. Facio, who is married with two children, was described as the “heartbeat” of the department.

“Officer Facio remains in critical condition. We are holding onto hope and standing beside him and his family during this incredibly difficult time,” the department said in a post on Facebook. 

The suspect was identified as 37-year-old Roger Nunez.   

The department says the public can share “words of support” for Officer Facio on their website. Click here to leave your message.  

AJPD Identifies Officer Injured in Line of Duty

We have identified the officer injured in yesterday’s officer-involved…

Posted by Apache Junction Police Department on Tuesday, June 3, 2025

A person living near the incident told 12News he heard between three to five gunshots followed by what sounded like officers telling the suspect to “calm down.”

The Mesa Police Department has taken over investigating the incident.  

You can watch Tuesday’s Apache Junction Police Department press conference about the shooting that injured Officer Gabriel Facio below. 

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