PICTURED: Driver, 35, who 'deliberately plowed his pickup truck into cyclists injuring six during Arizona bike race' as it's revealed he's ex-convict who DUI history
Arizona authorities on Monday identified the driver suspected of deliberately plowing his pickup truck into a group of bicyclists taking part in a weekend race, critically injuring six riders, and court records show he has an extensive criminal history of driving while intoxicated.
Shawn Michael Chock, 35, fled the crash scene Saturday in Show Low, which is about a three-hour drive northeast of Phoenix, and was shot by police as they chased him, said Kristine Sleighter, a police spokeswoman. Chock, who lives in nearby White Mountain Lakes, is still hospitalized in stable condition, and authorities were trying to determine a motive for the crash.
Prosecutors have been working with police investigators, but Navajo County Attorney Bradley Carlyon said his office typically does not charge hospitalized suspects until they are discharged.
Online court records in Maricopa County indicate that a Shawn Michael Chock, 35, has a history of arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and assault.
Chock's pickup truck with two bullet holes in the driver's side window and part of a mangled bike stuck on the vehicle's grill
Cycling shoes and a water bottle lie in the bloodied road following Saturday's incident
In 2007, he was indicted on aggravated assault. Several months later, he was charged with disorderly conduct with a weapon and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.
In 2010, three DUI-related charges, including having a third DUI, were dropped as part of an agreement where Chock pleaded guilty to felony aggravated DUI and shoplifting. He also pleaded no contest to aggravated assault.
Records show Chock was given probation in 2012 but violated the conditions of it in May 2013. According to court paperwork, Chock rejected a chance at continuing probation and requested prison time.
He was sentenced to two years and eight months but got more than 280 days credit for time served before sentencing. Online Arizona Department of Corrections records indicate he went to prison in May 2013 but was paroled in October 2014.
Chock is pictured on the left in a mugshot from 2012, when he was arrested on charges of aggravated assault. The mugshot on the right was taken in 2013 when Chock was arrested for a probation violation
On Saturday, Chock is accused of speeding his Ford F-150 pickup truck into bike racers gathered just before 7.30am for the annual 58-mile Bike the Bluff race, which had drawn hundreds of participants. Witnesses described seeing the bodies of cyclists flying left and right.
Tony Quinones, a cyclist who saw the crash, said some riders wondered at first whether the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. But Quinones said he saw the man deliberately accelerate toward the cyclists.
'He went right at us,' Quinones said.
Seven cyclists were rushed to hospitals, and six were listed in critical condition. The other was in stable condition. Sleighter said she had no update on how they are doing.
After crashing into the bicyclists, the driver of the pickup hit a telephone pole, and cyclists ran up to the truck and started pounding on the windows, screaming at the driver to get out, witnesses say.
Quinones said the driver hit the accelerator and backed out, drove down the road, made a U-turn and then headed back toward the cyclists but did not hit them again and drove away.
He was shot by police outside a nearby hardware store. Chock did not comply when officers tried to arrest him, Show Low spokeswoman Grace Payne said, but authorities have not yet given details on the circumstances that led to the shooting.
Show Low police say they are turning the investigation over to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Bicycles were shattered to pieces with the remains scattered on the road which was cordoned off with police tape
Quinones told the New York Times he was riding in the race with other male cyclists aged 55 and over when he spotted the pickup truck driving in the opposite direction in the opposite lane.
The witness said he believed the incident was a targeted attack.
'I don't know who the heck this guy is, or what his motive was,' he said.
'But he intentionally did not go left into a parking lot.
'He drove his truck directly and intentionally into our group, and you could hear him accelerate until he hit that telephone pole.'
Quinones said he spotted a fellow cyclist badly injured and bleeding on the road.
Tony Quinones, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, told the New York Times he was about six minutes into the Bike the Bluff charity race in Show Low, near Phoenix, when the incident happened
He posted images on social media showing the aftermath of what he said was a targeted attack
Quinones said the driver 'deliberately accelerated and crashed straight into us' before he sped off and was shot by cops
Quinones said he saw the Ford F-150 black pickup truck cross over three lanes and head straight for the cyclists
'He drove his truck directly and intentionally into our group, and you could hear him accelerate,' Quinones said
He recalled how just moments before the race started, he had shaken hands with the cyclist.
Another witness said he saw the incident unfold within the first mile and a half of the men's race.
Mike Godwin, who owns the Cycle Mania bike shop in Show Low with his wife Carol, said cars were allowed to share the road with cyclists in the race.
Godwin said the tragic incident had left the local cycling community 'solemn and upset' as people tried to piece together what happened.
Investigators have provided no update about the events leading up to the hit-and-run.
'We don't know the motivation,' city spokeswoman Grace Payne told The Associated Press.
The pickup truck was seen taped off with police tape on the scene. A survivor of a hit-and-run during an Arizona benefit cycling race has said the driver 'deliberately accelerated and crashed straight into us' before he sped off and was shot by cops
The incident unfolded about 7:25 am local time Saturday while people were taking part in the Bike the Bluff charity race in Show Low, near Phoenix
Police spokeswoman Kristine Sleighter said in a statement: 'This has been a horrible event.
'Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time.'
Graphic photos taken by local outlet WMICentral.com showed the black truck with bullet holes in the driver's side window and part of a mangled bike stuck on the vehicle's grill.
The suspect plowed into the cyclists in his Ford F-150 black pickup truck before speeding away from the scene
A bullet hole is seen in the driver's side window of the pickup truck that struck cyclists
Police chased the suspect before shooting him behind a nearby hardware store several blocks away
Cycling gear including shoes, helmets and water bottles littered the blood-stained road.
Bicycles were shattered to pieces with police tape cordoning off the area.
Multiple law enforcement teams including Show Low Police Department, Navajo County Sheriff's Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety were on the scene investigating Saturday.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
It is not clear at this time if the suspect was also armed.
Bike the Bluff is a 58-mile race to raise money for the Mountain Christian School in Show Low.
It was the 13th annual event and had attracted 270 participants.
Sow Low is a town in the White Mountains located about a three-hour drive from Phoenix.
Six victims were taken to hospital after being struck by the truck, according to the Show Low Police Department
Multiple law enforcement teams including Show Low Police Department, Navajo County Sheriff's Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are seen on the scene investigating
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June 22, 2021
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