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Phoenix dispatcher remembers shooting ambush

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PHOENIX — It's been less than a month since nine police officers were injured during a shooting in south Phoenix.

"You're kind of ready for the worst but you hope for the best," said Monica Dominguez, one of the dispatchers working that night.

As ABC15 previously reported, five officers were shot and four were hit by shrapnel.

Dominguez said it was a scary situation.

"It was slow in the sense that it was a four-and-a-half situation, five-hour situation, but it snowballed so fast from the second they got on scene," she said.

Police said they thought they were responding to a home invasion but later realized it was an ambush.

Dominguez, a 13-year veteran, was working behind-the-scenes dispatching officers.

According to investigators, Morris Jones shot and killed his ex-girlfriend. Then, Jones shot the first responding officer several times.

During the standoff that ensues, the victim's brother came out of the house with the couple's baby and was taken into custody.

When officers tried recovering the baby, Jones opened fire again.

"So initially when he came out with the baby, they were telling me on the radio he's coming back to us, he's compliant... and the whole room started cheering and everybody was like this is over, we're done," Dominguez said.

"And then we realized there's a baby in the situation," she added. "It definitely made it more personal... I think for myself and for everyone involved because a lot of kids," Dominguez added.

Eventually the shooting stopped and Jones was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Dominguez said she was able to meet the officers involved last week during a debrief. She said she appreciated the chance to be included because it gave her closure.

"You get a call, you work on it and you go on to the next call. You take that call, you work it and you go on to the next call, so it was nice. I'm glad I got to be part of the debriefing."

Dominguez said she needed some time off to process what happened but is happy to be back at work, doing what she loves.