MESA, AZ — A man is recovering after being shot by Mesa police Friday night.
At about 9:30 p.m., two officers in a marked police car spotted someone jaywalking 80th Street and University Drive and attempted to stop the man.
Officials say officers could see that the man, identified as 54-year-old Paul Newman, had a "large bulge" on the right side of the body that appeared to be a gun.
Court documents state that officers were asking Newman to sit and instead of sitting, he crouched. At some point, Newman stood up and allegedly reached behind his back.
They say he was being "somewhat evasive and didn't want to stop."
Officials say while speaking with the man, he allegedly "discharged a firearm" at the ground and then aimed the gun at one of the officers, at which point officers shot him.
Neither officer involved was hurt. The man was taken to a hospital with a non-life-threatening injury, police said.
Officials say Newman has an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest out of Coconino County for possession of dangerous drugs with a bond of $100,000.
Court documents say he is also a convicted felon in Arizona for charges of dangerous drugs, aggravated assault, resisting arrest and misconduct involving weapons.
Newman had a backpack in his possession at the time of the shooting.
Officials say the backpack had 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 52G of black tar heroin and 439G of M30 blue pills.
Newman was released from the hospital on Tuesday and faces multiple felony charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of narcotic drugs, possession of a firearm in a drug offense, prohibited possessor, unlawful discharge of a firearm in city limits and possession of drug paraphernalia.
