Charge upgraded to 1st-degree murder in Phoenix officer's death

PHOENIX - The suspect in the shooting death of a Phoenix police officer now faces a first-degree murder charge, police said Saturday.

Officer Zane Coolidge, a five-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department, died Friday. He was shot on Tuesday night, Sept. 3.

Coolidge's partner,  Matthew Haney, an officer who has spent two years with the department, was wounded but released from the hospital following treatment. He is recovering at home.

Shortly after the shooting, police arrested 41-year-old Saul Bal on suspicion of multiple felonies, including attempted homicide, weapons violations and burglary from a vehicle.

Both officers were chasing a suspect on foot at about 6:30 p.m.  Sept. 3 after arriving together on a call about a man trying to break into a vehicle. The man fired at the officers, striking both.

While one officer was able to return fire, the suspect was not struck. Other officers arrested Bal nearby soon afterward. Detectives recovered a firearm they believe he used.

Details on memorial services for Coolidge are pending, police said Saturday.

Independent Newsmedia contributed to this report.