Explosion Damages Mesa Police Vehicle, Hospitalizes Officer

Mesa police officers were responding to calls about gunfire shortly before 6 a.m. on November 12, 2026. They first went to the vicinity of Hampton Avenue and 96th Street, close to Southern Avenue and Ellsworth Road; the call was also near U.S. 60 and Ellsworth Road.

During their search nearby, an officer at the intersection of Sunland Avenue and 96th Street reported an explosion that damaged his patrol vehicle. The site was described as two blocks south of the first call. The officer went to a nearby hospital for precautionary care.

Police secured the two locations and are looking into what happened at both. They asked people to stay away from the area while the investigation continues.