Husband shoots, kills wife after baby handed to police

KINGMAN, Ariz. -- A Kingman police officer was wounded during a murder-suicide call, but another officer managed to remove a baby who was in harm's way Sunday.

Police Sgt. Bob Fisk said officer Tim Sparr suffered a gunshot wound to the arm after responding to a domestic disturbance call at 5:40 p.m.

Sparr and Sgt. Mark Chastain tried to coax Brad Anderson, 28, out of a house in the 3100 block of Tanner Street, near Eastern Street, where he held his estranged wife, Holly Anderson, 26, at gunpoint, Fisk said.

The woman, a probation officer with Mohave County, was able to crack open the front door but was shot and killed by Brad Anderson moments after she handed their 20-month-old girl to Chastain, Fisk said.

Police think the bullet that passed through Holly Anderson struck Sparr.

Fisk said Brad Anderson shot and killed himself seconds after shooting his wife.

The Andersons had separated and had an extensive history of domestic violence, Fish said.

Sparr was treated at a hospital and released. He will require surgery later to remove the bullet.

Police Chief Bob Devries praised Chastain and Sparr.

"I can tell you that their actions were nothing less than heroic," Devries said. "It's unfortunate that we did lose two lives there. We wish we could have been able to hopefully have had a better outcome."

The two deaths came a month after police said ex-convict Darrell Ketchner, 51, stabbed and shot estranged girlfriend Jennifer Allison, 35, and stabbed and killed Ariel Allison, an 18-year-old who came to the aid of her mother. Ketchner remains jailed on a murder charge.

Also, John Hett, 49, and his 45-year-old wife, Valery, died in a murder-suicide in March.

"Domestic violence is by far one of the most dangerous situations that officers will encounter," Devries said. "They train for it, but it never really truly prepares you for what some of the aftermath can be."