On Friday February 24, 2017 at approximately 6:46 pm, Sierra Vista Police Officer Joel Mercado observed a female matching the description of a suspect from an earlier shoplifting report from Ace Hardware in Sierra Vista.
SVPD Officer Joel Mercado observed the female in the area of the Rothery Educational Center, located at 3305 East Fry Boulevard, and attempted to take the female suspect into custody.
The female fled south on foot across East Fry Boulevard with Officer Mercado pursuing her. Both Officer Mercado and the female suspect were struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound on Fry Boulevard. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and later spoke with investigators.
Officer Mercado was transported from the scene to Canyon Vista Medical Center by ambulance where he was later treated and released. Officer Mercado is currently recovering at home while being assigned to administrative leave. Officer Mercado has been employed with the City of Sierra Vista since 2015.
The female suspect, identified as 29-year-old Shrere Nieto from Huachuca City, was airlifted from the scene to a Tucson hospital where she is currently hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
The investigation is still ongoing by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Sierra Vista Police Department. There are no charges pending for the driver of the vehicle involved in this incident.