Man facing 3 felony charges in officer-involved shooting

A 29-year-old man shot by a Maricopa police officer Tuesday afternoon is facing three felony charges.

According to a complaint filed Thursday in Casa Grande Justice Court, Lee Patrick Hafer of Maricopa is being charged on suspicion of disorderly conduct, unlawful flight from a law enforcement vehicle and aggravated assault.

Officer Carrick Cook of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the agency handling the investigation, said Hafer was still in the hospital as of Friday morning. Hafer was shot once in the shoulder area.

Chris Evans, the Maricopa police officer who shot Hafer, was placed on paid administrative leave – a standard procedure in officer-involved shooting investigations.

Earlier this week, Cook said Evans fired three shots and hit Hafer once during a confrontation on the side of Honeycutt Road between White and Parker and Porter roads.

The shooting took place after Hafer reportedly fled from police in a white Ford Mustang.

Hafer got out of the Mustang with a gun pointed to his head, Cook said. During the confrontation, Hafer pointed the gun back and forth from Evans to his own head. When Hafer started walking toward Evans, the officer fired his weapon.

Tuesday’s incident began when police received a welfare-check call around 2:15 p.m. from a residence in the 36000 block of West Leonessa Avenue within the Sorrento subdivision.

Cook said Hafer got into an argument with his wife and threatened to take his life. He then left in his Mustang, which was later found by police. Authorities have not said what the argument was about.