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Armed Driver Shot By Arizona Trooper Had Sacramento Ties

PHOENIX (AP) - Police on Thursday released the name of an armed driver who was fatally shot by an Arizona trooper last weekend after a high-speed chase on Phoenix-area freeways.

Luis Michael Hoff, 40, died at the scene of the shooting late Sunday, according to Phoenix police, who are investigating the incident.

A state Department of Public Safety trooper opened fire after Hoff got out of his car with a gun in his hand and raised it at the trooper, police said.

"Investigation to date has shown that the suspect had recently become mentally unstable and was a danger to himself and others," said Sgt. Jonathan Howard, a police spokesman. "The investigation is continuing."

Howard said he couldn't find a criminal record for Hoff in Phoenix.

"It appears his ties to Arizona were minimal," Howard said. "He has not resided here in many years. He was listing a variety of home addresses and showed recent ties to Albuquerque, New Mexico; Colorado Springs, Colorado and Sacramento, California."

The pursuit began after a DPS trooper reported seeing a vehicle speeding and driving erratically on the Loop 101 around 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

Troopers deployed tire deflation devices on a section of the freeway, but Hoff exited and allegedly drove at one trooper who jumped out of the way and suffered an ankle injury.

Police said the suspect missed striking the trooper by less than a foot.

They said Hoff got back on the freeway and then slammed on the brakes and swerved at another DPS trooper's vehicle.

Additional troopers surrounded Hoff's vehicle before the shooting occurred.

Police said a 34-year-old trooper with four years of DPS experience fired the shots, but his name wasn't released Thursday.

 

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

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