Crime & Safety

'Beyond Frustrating': Tucson Chief On Accused Shooter's Release

Zachary Lee is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an officer-involved shooting on Friday.

Zachary Oscar Lee
Zachary Oscar Lee (Tucson Police Department)

TUCSON, AZ — Police Chief Chris Magnus took to Twitter Wednesday to express frustration about a man's release from jail without bond, after police say the man exchanged gunfire with a police sergeant last week.

Zachary Oscar Lee, 26, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an incident Friday afternoon that left him with gunshot wounds.

In a Wednesday morning Tweet, Magnus described it as "beyond frustrating" that a Tucson City Court judge released Lee with no bond.

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The incident began around 2:30 p.m. Friday, near 4800 E. 29th Street, when Lee walked past a police sergeant in an unmarked car and the two spoke briefly, according to a news release. Police say that Lee then pulled out a semi-automatic gun and he and the sergeant shot at one another. Police did not clarify who took the first shot.

Lee ran to a nearby apartment complex where police found him and discovered that he had been shot. Lee was taken to a local hospital for treatment, police said.

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He was booked into the Pima County Jail following his release.

The Tucson Police Violent Crimes Unit as well as the department's Office of Professional Standards are both investigating the officer-involved shooting, police said. The sergeant involved in the shooting is a nine-year veteran of the department.

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