Deputy Involved Crash in Kachina Village

Contact Jon Paxton 928-226-5089

SUBJECT: Deputy Involved Crash in Kachina Village

Flagstaff, AZ – On May 5, 2023 at about 2:39 PM CCSO Deputies received a call for service for a female in Kachina Village who had lit her vehicle on fire and was acting strangely. Highlands Fire Department was dispatched as well as Deputies to investigate.

A CCSO deputy located the vehicle at the Family Dollar parking lot in Kachina Village and contacted the driver. The driver of the vehicle was extremely agitated. As the deputy was attempting to de-escalate the situation, she put her car in reverse and backed up rapidly, knocking the deputy down in the parking lot. The driver then drove forward, nearly striking the deputy on the ground.

The vehicle fled north on Kachina Trail and then turned around and began to travel southbound. Given the driver’s erratic and dangerous demeanor and behavior to this point, it became obvious to the deputy he needed to stop the vehicle in the interest of public safety. The deputy used his patrol vehicle to stop the suspect vehicle on Kachina Trail, resulting in a collision. The driver still refused to exit the vehicle and cooperate, continuing her uncontrollable behavior. At this point another deputy arrived on scene to assist. After a short struggle and a taser deployment the female was taken into custody. There was evidence on the vehicle that the rear bumper had been on fire recently.

Paramedics from Highlands Fire Department were on scene and the female was later transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center by Guardian Ambulance for minor injuries. The deputy was treated on scene and released with minor injuries.

The incident remains under investigation by CCSO deputies and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Highlands Fire Department, and Guardian Medical Transport for their assistance during this incident.