In the late afternoon of March 26, 1999, Phoenix Police Officer Marc Todd Atkinson, a 28-year-old male, was nearing the end of his shift in the Maryvale precinct. A five-year veteran of the force and a former U.S. Marine who served in Operation Desert Storm, Atkinson was known for his dedication and proactive approach to policing. He had a particular focus on a neighborhood known for drug activity, and on this day, he began investigating a suspicious white Lincoln Continental with three
occupants. After his initial backup officers were called away, he continued to follow the vehicle alone.
The pursuit led to an industrial area near 30th Avenue and Catalina Drive, where the driver of the Lincoln lured Atkinson into a deadly ambush. The suspects' vehicle stopped, and as Atkinson's patrol car turned the corner, the men opened fire. He was struck twice in the head by bullets from a. 357-caliber handgun. His patrol car then crashed into a telephone pole. Atkinson was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
The shooting was witnessed by a 27-year-old night security guard named Rory Vertigan, who was driving by. Vertigan took immediate action, using his own semiautomatic weapon to fire at the gunman, striking him in the shoulder. As the primary shooter collapsed, the other two passengers fled the scene. Vertigan then disarmed the injured suspect and rushed to Officer Atkinson's aid. The intervention of Vertigan, who was hailed as a hero by the police chief, was crucial in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
Within minutes, law enforcement, aided by civilians who followed one of the fleeing men and reported his location via cell phone, were able to apprehend all three suspects. The suspected gunman was identified as 17-year-old Felipe Petrona-Cabana. The two other suspects were identified as Oscar Garcia-Martinez and Oberlin Cabanas-Salgado. All three were confirmed to be Mexican nationals who had entered the country illegally. Petrona-Cabana was charged with first-degree murder, while the other two faced charges including illegal possession of a firearm. Marc Atkinson was survived by his wife and their six-month-old son.
