Gilbert Police Department, Arizona
End of Watch: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Age: 42
Tour of Duty: 21 years, 6 months
Badge Number: 747
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 28, 2010
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler was shot and killed after stopping a vehicle occupied by two males near the intersection of Val Vista and Baseline Roads, near the border with Mesa.
When Lieutenant Shuhandler approached the passenger side of the vehicle to contact the passenger, the passenger fired a single shot, striking Lieutenant Shuhandler in the head.
Two sergeants from the Mesa Police Department heard the shot and found Lieutenant Shuhandler at the same time as Gilbert police received a 911 call reporting the shooting. He was transported to a local hospital where he died from his wound.
The suspects were located several minutes later, and a 50-mile high-speed chase began along Highway 60, with several units pursuing the pickup through Phoenix-area communities. The suspects fired several rounds and threw objects from their vehicle at the pursuing officers. The vehicle abruptly stopped in the town of Superior, and both suspects were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with officers from four agencies. Both suspects were arrested at the scene.
On October 14th, 2010, the driver was convicted of aggravated assault, drive-by shooting, and unlawful flight, and sentenced to 107 years in prison. Lieutenant Shuhandler's killer was convicted of first-degree murder in an unrelated case and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on March 21st, 2012. He was charged with capital murder for killing Lieutenant Shuhandler. On May 7, 2019, he was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life. He died in prison in 2024.
Lieutenant Shuhandler had served with the Gilbert Police Department for 16 years. He had previously served with the Manasquan, New Jersey, Police Department for 1-1/2 years and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for four years. He is survived by his two daughters, sister, and parents.