Chandler police are releasing more information on an officer-involved shooting from earlier this week.

Around 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, Officer Jonathan Castlegrante responded to a neighborhood near Dobson and Warner roads to assist detectives from the Phoenix Police Department, who were conducting a theft investigation involving a white Toyota Prius.

Mr. Castlegrante saw a white Toyota Prius in the neighborhood and tried to pull it over. However, police said the driver refused to stop and the vehicle fled to an unknown location.

Around 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27, Mr. Castlegrante found the same Prius backed into a parking stall on the east side of the Hampton Inn Hotel, 7333 W. Detroit St.

The officer then saw a male exit the vehicle and walk into the hotel. Mr. Castlegrante walked into the hotel lobby in search of the occupants and found Kevin Alan Smallman, 29, and Krystal Denean Ehrlich, 26, near the ground floor elevators.

Mr. Castlegrante told Smallman he was being detained and requested more officers. Moments later, police said Mr. Smallman ran from Mr. Castlegrante. The officer ran after Mr. Smallman and advised over his radio that he was in a foot pursuit.

Police said Mr. Smallman ran out of the hotel and entered the Prius. Mr. Castlegrante tried to arrest Mr. Smallman while he was inside the vehicle. However, while Mr. Castlegrante was struggling to arrest the 29-year-old, police said Mr. Smallman started the vehicle and drove it away from the parking space, trapping the officer inside.

As Mr. Castlegrante continued to struggle with Mr. Smallman, the emergency button on the officer’s radio was activated. This allowed dispatchers and other officers to hear the ongoing struggle.

During this time, Mr. Castlegrante is heard yelling repeatedly, “Don’t do it I’ll shoot you!”

Police said Mr. Castlegrante then fired one round from his weapon striking Mr. Smallman. Shortly after, the Prius crashed into a block wall near 54th Street and Chandler Boulevard.

Responding Chandler officers located Mr. Castlegrante and pulled him out of the car. They also removed Mr. Smallman and Ms. Ehrlich from and immediately began life-saving measures on Mr. Smallman until the fire department arrived.

All three were taken to the hospital for treatment.

However, Mr. Smallman was pronounced dead at the hospital. Mr. Castlegrante was treated for injuries and released from the hospital later in the evening.

Ms. Ehrlich was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, and then booked into the a Maricopa County jail on two drug-related charges.

Police said Mr. Castlegrante is 29 and a seven-year veteran of Arizona law enforcement. He has been a police officer with the Chandler Police Department since February 2018 after serving as an officer with the Yuma Police Department for five years.

The investigation is ongoing.

Police said Mr. Smallman was wanted for multiple felony crimes ranging from property to violent incidents. Chandler police had been looking for him for at least a month.

He also served time in prison for burglary, theft and aggravated DUI, according to records from the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

The incident was the fifth officer-involved shooting in 2020, following Friday incidents in Scottsdale and Queen Creek.