Arizona woman shot by police, arrested for ramming SUV into patrol vehicle, police say

MESA, Ariz. (3TV/CBS 5/Gray News) - A woman was shot by police in Arizona and later booked into jail after officers said she used her SUV to ram an officer’s vehicle late Thursday night at the city’s police headquarters.

Police said just before 9 p.m. the woman, later identified as 39-year-old Taneysha Shari Carter, was following an officer in a marked SUV in the area of Country Club and University drives.

The officer was dispatched to a call, but since Carter was following him, he said he decided to go back to police headquarters near University Drive and Center Street, according to court paperwork.

He said he opened the gate to the employee parking lot, and that’s when Carter rammed her SUV into the patrolman’s vehicle two to three times, court documents say.

The officer went past the gate and stopped his SUV. He then jumped out, rolled on the ground and shot at Carter, police said.

Carter then got out of her SUV and ran through the parking lot toward the police holding facility, police said.

That’s when the same officer shot again, and Carter was hit at least once by the gunfire.

She was taken to the hospital, but was later released.

Carter was booked into jail early Friday morning on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a police officer and first-degree criminal trespass, which are all felonies.

The responding officer had minor scrapes and cuts on his elbows, hands and knees.

Court documents said Carter told investigators she believes law enforcement, the military and a group she referred to as the Illuminati are trying to kill her.

Carter claims she was trying to get the officer’s attention to tell him this information.

She also said she thought the officer knew who she was.

Court paperwork said Mesa police detained her back in 2020 for mental health reasons. Court records also show Carter has prior convictions for drug and shoplifting charges.

According to Arizona’s Family records for Maricopa County, this is the 35th officer-involved shooting in the Phoenix area in 2022.

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