Yavapai County Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Lopez, 51, survived by wife, two daughters

An Arizona sheriff’s deputy has died after being shot while trying to apprehend a theft suspect who barricaded himself from responding officers before surrendering, authorities said.

Yavapai County Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Lopez, 51, responded to the call in a Cordes Lake neighborhood near Stagecoach Trail and Red Rock Road on Tuesday when the suspect shot him, Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes said at a news conference on Tuesday night. 

Residents called 911 and responding officers found Lopez unresponsive at the scene, Rhodes said. He was rushed to the nearest fire department and quickly airlifted to a hospital. Lopez underwent surgery but did not survive.

Officials said that the SWAT team was deployed to the scene when the suspect barricaded himself inside his home. The suspect was eventually taken into custody.