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PHOENIX POLICE OFFICER KILLED
Phoenix police office Shane Figueroa died Oct. 25 after a suspected drunken driver who was in the country illegally smashed into his squad car.

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    Man Faces Murder Charges In Officer's Death

    POSTED: 4:53 pm MST October 28, 2008
    UPDATED: 6:01 pm MST October 28, 2008

    A suspected drunken driver who smashed into a police squad car and killed a 25-year-old Phoenix police officer early Saturday faces second-degree murder charges.

    The county attorney on Tuesday said Salvador Vivas-Diaz, 50, an illegal immigrant with a history of alcohol abuse and skirting the law, also faces aggravated assault and felony charges in connection with the death of Shane Figueroa.

    Vivas-Diaz had four outstanding counts of driving under the influence, a suspended driver's license, charges of forgery for providing false documents and failure to appear in court.

    Investigators on the scene of Saturday's crash said Vivas-Diaz showed all the signs of a drunken driver. Police said he had bloodshot watery eyes, a strong odor of alcoholic beverage, poor balance and slurred speech.

    When questioned, court records show Vivas-Diaz provided officers a false name, a fake ID and he appeared to have numerous outstanding warrants.

    Salvador Vivas-Diaz

    Vivas-Diaz had been deported to Mexico at least four times, and each time he came back across the border.

    Police said at the time of his arrest, Vivas-Diaz was carrying two fake Mexican ID cards and initially gave officers a fake name at the accident scene at 19th Avenue and West Roeser Road.

    It was only after police fingerprinted Vivas-Diaz and his outstanding warrants popped up that authorities figured out who he really was, according to court documents.

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