Arizona Police Officer Fatally Shot By Carjacking Suspect

Officer Jesus “Chuy” Cordova

Nogales Police Department

PHOENIX — A Nogales police officer was killed after he was shot multiple times when he attempted to apprehend a carjacking suspect during a traffic stop, officials said.

Officer Jesus “Chuy” Cordova, 44, died Friday, police said.

It’s the first officer fatality in the city in nearly 129 years, underscoring the shock reverberating through this close-knit border community.

Cordova joined the department in May 2017. He previously served as a detective with the the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office for more than a decade.

Cordova leaves behind three children and a fiancée who is five months pregnant, Nogales Police Chief Roy Bermudez said.

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Police identified the suspected shooter as David Ernesto Murillo, 28, of Tempe. He’s in police custody, and officers said they were not looking for anyone else.

“We are mourning as a department and as a community,” Bermudez said during an emotional Friday night press conference, at times his voice breaking and holding back tears.

Bermudez said the tragic encounter started Friday afternoon with a report of a carjacking near the town of Patagonia, located about 18 miles northwest of Nogales. Murillo evaded Santa Cruz County deputies, the police chief said, and ended up in Nogales.

Cordova responded to an armed carjacking at about 2:45 p.m. Friday, according to police.

Police said the suspect was driving away from the scene as the officer attempted to stop the car, police said.

Murillo exited the car before firing multiple shots at Cordova inside his patrol car, police said. Investigators recovered possibly 10 shell casings and concluded the officer was struck multiple times, although the exact number is unknown, Bermudez said.

Nogales firefighters treated Cordova and attempted to airlift him to a Tucson hospital, but they had to turn back to get him stabilized, the chief said. They instead transported him to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.

Law enforcement personnel near the bullet damaged patrol car at where a Nogales Police officer was shot in front of Villas Market at Mesa Verde and Grand in Nogales on April 27, 2018. He died at a hospital in Tucson. The suspect was part of several carjackings across the city that culminated in more gunfire and a short standoff with officers. The suspect was taken into custody.

Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star

In the meantime, Murillo then stole a second car before fleeing the scene, according to police.

After the suspected shooter stole a third car, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies apprehended him without incident in a trailer park.

“I am frustrated. I am mad. So many emotions going through me right now,” Bermudez said Friday night.

Although Cordova was with the department less than one year, Bermudez described him as an exemplary officer.

“I was glad to take him in because of the reputation he had,” Bermudez said of his decision to hire Cordova. “The community of the Nogales Police Department is going to miss (him), losing a great officer.”

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey extended prayers and condolences to Cordova’s family and loved ones. He ordered all state flags to fly at half-staff Monday.

“This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the sacrifices that police officers make daily to keep our communities safe,” Ducey said in a tweet.

So far investigators have released very few details about Murillo. But records show he has lived in Tempe and Nogales, and he has family in both areas.

He’s also had several run-ins with the law, including a few driving-related incidents, and a misdemeanor drug charge in Santa Cruz County.

Many Nogales residents said they were stunned by the shooting, and shocked that something like this would happen here.

“That’s why I moved here. It’s so peaceful,” Hossana Real said. “I used to be in Phoenix and now here. It’s beautiful here, and that’s the first time. I was surprised when it happened, honestly.”

Real was cooking inside her food truck, just north of where Cordova responded, when she said she heard multiple shots. “I lost count after six,” she added.

Nogales Mayor John Doyle echoed resident’s comments, stating that Nogales is one of the safest communities in the state.

He expressed his sympathy for Cordova’s family and the police department. But also said he was glad that no one else got hurt.

“I believe they did an excellent job to make sure that the rest of the community was protected, and there was no more tragedies,” he said.