2 masked men who ambushed Phoenix detective fired 19 rounds

The two masked men who ambushed a Phoenix police detective fired 19 rounds, according to court documents. On Wednesday, the Phoenix Police Department identified the two masked men as Aaron Ware, 22, and Ahmani Gordon, 22. They face multiple felonies in connection to the shooting.

Police say officers were following up on an investigation near 40th Avenue and Pollack Street. An undercover Phoenix police detective was sitting inside her car when a Honda Accord slowed down and pulled up beside them. Court paperwork says the two men inside, Ware and Gordon, had their faces covered with masks when they got out and pointed their guns at the detective in the car. The officer put on her ballistic vest, which had “police” marked on it, while the two men got out of their car. One of the men stood in front of the detective’s car, and the other stood outside the passenger side door and both began shooting.

In court documents, the detective believed a round hit their vest. The detective tried getting out of their vehicle, but the two men kept shooting at them, striking the detective several times on the right side of her body, “including the right hand,” court paperwork said. The detective wasn’t able to fire back because of her injuries. At that point, the two men jumped back into their car and took off. Court paperwork says officers quickly tracked Ware and Gordon down a little over a mile away. Ware and Gordon were standing in a driveway near 33rd Avenue and Baseline Road. Both were arrested and taken in for questioning.

During an interview with detectives, at first, Ware claimed that he wasn’t in the car but changed his story when confronted with evidence from the scene. Ware also denied knowing that the person he shot was a police officer and said he never saw them exit their vehicle with the police vest on. Ware said that he only shot at the detective after they shot at him. Documents also allege that Ware admitted to wearing a mask over his face but said he didn’t have it down over his face when the shooting happened. Gordon wasn’t questioned because he invoked his right to remain silent and asked for a lawyer.

Police said that the detective remains in the hospital recovering from her injuries. The detective has not been identified.

Court documents say Gordon and Ware are being held on a $2 million cash-only bond. This is the 29th officer-involved shooting in Maricopa County in 2022 and the 45th overall in the state.