Arizona man missing, suspect killed in police shootout near Lake Havasu

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — A 66-year-old man from Prescott, Arizona, remains missing after another man driving his pickup truck was killed by police in the Lake Havasu area.

Russell Thomas Vinton was reported missing after he missed jury duty on Tuesday, Oct. 8. He had been camping with a friend in the Jacob Lake area west of Page — about 5½ hours away from where the truck was spotted near the Craggy Wash area just north of Lake Havasu.

Lake Havasu Police detectives went to a desert area near Craggy Wash at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, after a report the pickup truck was seen there. When they arrived a man opened fire “without warning” on the officers from inside the truck.

“The detectives took cover behind their vehicle and returned fire,” according to information released Thursday by authorities investigating the shooting. “The suspect in the truck then drove toward the detectives at a high rate of speed and rammed into their police vehicle. When the suspect got out of the truck, detectives continued to shoot, and the suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

The dead man has been identified as Patrick Neal Champion, 61. Authorities said he is from Tennessee.

The two detectives were not hit in the exchange of gunfire, but they were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained when the vehicles collided. They have since been released from the hospital.

The Bullhead City Police Department is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. The investigation is ongoing. It is protocol to have an outside agency investigate an officer-involved shooting incident. The two Lake Havasu City Police detectives involved are currently on administrative leave, which is also customary in an officer-involved shooting incident.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, which handled the missing person report, has released a photo of Vinton the pickup truck and a camper trailer that is still missing.

“Vinton’s truck and camper were not at the campsite, but other items found at the site were suspicious in nature and gave deputies concern for Vinton’s welfare.

Authorities have not identified the friend who Vinton was camping with before he was reported missing.

If you have information that can help locate Vinton and the camper trailer — a white 2017 travel trailer with Arizona license plate 5LA50N, contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-774-4523 or Coconino county Silent Witness at 928-774-6111. Officials said the license plate might have been removed.

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