Arizona in Brief: Arizona reports 915 new COVID-19 cases, 20 more deaths

PHOENIX — After a lag in reporting due to the Memorial Day holiday, Arizona is reporting more than 900 new confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The state on Wednesday released a case count that included cases that didn’t initially make it to the virus data dashboard.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there are 915 new cases and 20 additional virus-related deaths. That brings the state’s total to 882,369 cases and 17,648 deaths.

Virus-related hospitalizations dipped slightly to 544. Of those patients, 153 were in the ICU.

Meanwhile, vaccination numbers remain about the same. More than 5.9 million vaccine doses have been administered to date. Over 3.3 million people, or 46.5% of the state’s vaccine-eligible population, have received at least one dose. More than 2.8 million people have gotten both.

Tucson police: Officer fatally shoots man brandishing pistol

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The Tucson Police Department says an officer fatally shot a man during an encounter outside his home following multiple reports of gunshots.

Joshua Lee Moore, 33, was killed Monday night after officers went to Moore’s home, made contact with Moore and he initially ignored commands to show his hands, a department statement said.

One officer then fatally shot Moore when he brandished a revolver, the department said.

Separate Police Department units are conducting professional standards and criminal investigations of the incident, the statement said.

Procession takes police officer killed in crash to mortuary

PHOENIX (AP) — A procession transported the body of a Phoenix police officer killed in an on-duty collision to a mortuary on Wednesday.

Dozens of law enforcement motorcycles from multiple agencies escorted the white hearse carrying Officer Ginarro New from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office in downtown Phoenix to a mortuary in north-central Phoenix.

Police said the 27-year-old officer died Monday night after his police SUV was struck in an intersection by a car that ran a red light.

The car’s driver was identified by police as 31-year old Christopher Castro.

According to police, speed and impairment were believed to be contributed factors in the crash.

New joined the department in July 2019.

He is survived by a his wife, mother, brother and grandmother.