Original Article Off-duty officer shoots suspected shoplifter Nov. 27, 2005 12:45 PM An off-duty Phoenix police officer shot a shoplifter Saturday evening after the man allegedly hurled rocks and a bottle at him. The detective, whose name was not released, was working in uniform as security for the Food City grocery store at 35th Avenue and Van Buren Street. Around 6 p.m., he approached a man who employees had seen shoving beers in his pants, Sgt. Lauri Williams said. As the detective pursued him through the parking lot and across Van Buren to a Chevron station, the man threw grapefruit-sized landscaping rocks and a bottle at him, Williams said. After an unsuccessful attempt to subdue the suspect with pepper spray, the detective, who was not equipped with a Taser, fired at him. The suspect, described as 35 to 40 years old, was taken to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. An investigation of the shooting is ongoing, Williams said. The officer was not injured. - Corinne Purtill