BLACK CANYON CITY, AZ — A man is dead after he reportedly was shot in an exchange of gunfire with Yavapai County Sheriff's deputies late Friday night.
The YCSO says at about 10:30 p.m., they got a call from a woman saying her husband, Thomas Henzler, was intoxicated and had shot a bullet into the ceiling to get her attention.
She added that Henzler knew the police would be called, and he had begun setting up an ambush on the only access point to the house on School House Road in Black Canyon City.
YCSO dispatchers reportedly heard Henzler tell his wife that he would shoot at law enforcement to "do a suicide by cop."
Once deputies and Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers arrived on scene, a tactical team was requested. Law enforcement feared there was a hostage situation after they found out Henzler was trying to force his wife to go to the ambush site with him.
DPS called an Air Ranger to the scene to assist because of the remote location of the home.
The sheriff's office says after a while, the wife came out of the home by herself and opened the gate. YCSO deputies attempted to call Henzler, who was still in the home, but he did not answer.
About an hour later, he exited the house and started approaching deputies. He then opened fire as he got closer to law enforcement, and deputies returned fire. Henzler died from his injuries.
The woman is reportedly okay. No deputies were hurt in the incident.
DPS has been asked to investigate the shooting, and it will be done over the coming weeks.
