PHOENIX — The man convicted of killing a Gilbert officer in 2010 has died in prison, according to the Department of Corrections.
Christopher Redondo, 49, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2019 for the shooting death of Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler during a traffic stop.
Officials say Redondo died at the Lewis Corrections Department prison facility in Buckeye on January 26. According to the Medical Examiner's report, Redondo died from methamphetamine and fentanyl intoxication. The death was ruled accidental.
Shuhandler was shot as he walked from his patrol car back to Redondo's truck after learning that Redondo had an arrest warrant. He had initially pulled Redondo over because his truck had a partially covered license plate.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Redondo, who they say was close enough to Shuhandler when he pulled the trigger that it sprayed gunpowder into the officer's eyes.
After the shooting, Redondo led authorities on a chase that lasted 50 miles along US 60 that featured shots fired at pursuing law enforcement officers and debris thrown from the truck in an attempt to disable their vehicles. Redondo and Daimen Joseph Irizarry, who was driving Redondo's truck, ran out of gas in Superior and were both shot before being apprehended.
Irizarry was sentenced to 107 years in prison after being convicted of drive-by shooting and aggravated assault for his role.
