Woman shot by police, arrested after ramming SUV into patrol vehicle at Mesa police headquarters

MESA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - A woman was shot by Mesa police and later booked into jail after officers said she used her SUV to ram an officer’s SUV late Thursday night at the city’s police headquarters. Just before 9 p.m., the woman, later identified as 39-year-old Taneysha Shari Carter, was following an officer in a marked SUV in the area of Country Club and University drives. The officer was dispatched to a call, but since Carter was following him, he decided to go back to police headquarters near University Drive and Center Street, according to court paperwork.

He opened the gate to the employee parking lot, and that’s when Carter rammed his SUV with her SUV two to three times, court documents said. The officer went past the gate and stopped his SUV. He then jumped out, rolled on the ground and shot at Carter, police said. She got out of her SUV and ran through the parking lot toward the police holding facility. That’s when the same officer shot again. Carter was hit at least once by the shootings.

She was taken to the hospital but was later released. Carter was booked into jail early Friday morning on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a police officer and first-degree criminal trespass, all felonies. The officer had minor scrapes and cuts on his elbows, hands and knees.

Court documents said Carter told investigators she believes law enforcement, the military and a group she referred to as the Illuminati are trying to kill her. She claims she was trying to get the officer’s attention to tell him this information. Carter also said she thought the officer knew who she was. Court paperwork says Mesa police detained her in 2020 for mental health reasons. Court records show Carter has prior convictions for drug and shoplifting charges. According to Arizona’s Family records for Maricopa County, this is the 35th officer-involved shooting in the Valley in 2022.

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