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The Republic
- A Phoenix police officer sustained minor injuries after being assaulted while responding to a criminal damage call, police said.
- The incident happened near 35th Avenue and Cactus Road around 10 p.m. July 5, 2025, involving a large group of adult men and teenagers.
- An adult man and male teen were arrested and booked for aggravated assault on a police officer, police said.
A Phoenix police officer was injured after responding to a large gathering, a spokesperson said.
Around 10 p.m. July 5, police were called out for reports of criminal damage in a neighborhood near 35th Avenue and Cactus Road, according to Lorraine Fernandez, spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department.
Arriving officers made contact with a large group of adult men and teens in an alley, where a man resisted commands of police and assaulted an officer, prompting an underage male to intervene and also attack, Fernandez said.
Another police officer used pepper spray to stop the fight, said Fernandez.
The assaulted officer sustained minor injuries and was treated on scene by the Phoenix Fire Department, according to Fernandez.
More police arrived and witnessed the group walking from the alley back into a residence, Fernandez said. Police organized a containment, and eventually, 20 people exited the home, according to Fernandez.
The teen attacker was taken to the hospital but was later booked along with the adult attacker for aggravated assault on a police officer. Both of them remained unidentified.
An unidentified adult woman was also treated by the Phoenix Fire Department and taken to the hospital for a medical condition, Fernandez said.
The incident remained under investigation.
Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ.