In the early evening of December 28, 1970, Phoenix Police Officer Albert Raymond Bluhm, a 40-year-old male, was on duty when he pulled over a stolen truck. The stop occurred behind the Bali Hi Motel, located at 16th Avenue and Linden Street. As Officer Bluhm approached the vehicle, one of two suspects, who was concealed inside the camper shell of the truck, opened fire. Officer Bluhm was struck by three bullets.
Despite his grave injuries, he attempted to radio for help, but tragically succumbed to his wounds at the scene. A passing motorist discovered the gravely wounded officer and alerted the dispatcher. He was rushed to Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The two suspects, who were already fugitives from Virginia and wanted in connection with the shooting of a state trooper in Utah, fled the scene. A week later, their run from the law came to an end in Cortez, Colorado. Following a pursuit, both men were apprehended. The individual who fired the fatal shots was convicted of first-degree murder and, on January 7, 1973, was sentenced to life in prison. He would later die in custody on November 15, 2006. His accomplice was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of five years to life.
The loss of Officer Bluhm, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with eight years of service with the Phoenix Police Department and a previous six years with the Edina, Minnesota Police Department, was a profound tragedy. His death also led to a second fatality within the Phoenix Police Department that same night. Officer Dale Stone was killed in a motorcycle accident while responding to the call of an officer down. Officer Bluhm was survived by his teenage son and his parents.
