Authorities search remote Ariz-Utah desert area for man accused of killing deputy

Suspect sought in killing of Utah sheriff’s deputy

PHOENIX — A massive manhunt was under way Friday in the remote desert along the Arizona-Utah border for a man accused of shooting and killing a Utah sheriff’s deputy with a high-powered rifle after an attempted burglary and foot chase.

Scott Curley, 23, fled into the wilderness covered with rock formations and caves after Kane County Deputy Brian Harris was shot near Fredonia, a small town just south of the Utah border, authorities said.

Curley was familiar with the area and may have stashed food and supplies in caves and cliffs described as “spider holes,” his friends told investigators.

“I think he had malice in his heart, but I didn’t think it would go this far,” said Richard Pulliam, a neighbor of Curley in Fredonia.

Harris, 41, was shot Thursday while chasing a man suspected of trying to burglarize Fredonia High School on Wednesday. Authorities did not immediately provide details of the burglary or what led to the foot chase.

Coconino County issued a temporary felony warrant for first-degree murder for Curley.

“He has been reportedly carrying a high-powered rifle and has already shot and killed a sheriff’s deputy,” said Erika Wiltenmuth, a spokeswoman for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, one of the 21 agencies looking for Curley. “Officer safety and citizen safety is the primary concern.”

The manhunt lasted throughout the night and into Friday, with 120 law officers, some in helicopters or handling tracking dogs, searching the remote desert.

Pulliam, 68, who has lived across the street from Curley and three other men since 2005, told The Associated Press they would sometimes party at the house into the late-night hours or drive home drunk and pass out on the lawn before making it inside.

“They’d have fights out on the streets and get to whoopin’ and hollerin’ at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning,” he said.

Pulliam, a retired truck driver, recalled a wedding at his house when Curley and the others allegedly went through parked cars but stopped without any problems when he asked them to leave.

“They were just kids being kids, and if they were irritating or being too loud, you’d go over and talk to them,” he said. “They’d calm right down, say they’re sorry, that they were just having a little fun and got a little carried away.”

Pulliam was surprised to hear Curley was suspected of killing Harris.

“I never thought he was capable of this; he must have got awful mad,” he said.

Pulliam said he doubted Curley had any supplies stashed in the wilderness or had any type of survival skills.

“I don’t think he planned that far ahead, myself,” he said. “I guarantee they’re going to catch him. I think he’s hungry and tired and scared.”

Meanwhile, family and community members gathered to mourn the death of Harris at the home of his parents.

Harris is survived by his wife Shawna, 13-year-old daughter Kirsten, 10-year-old daughter Kristina, five brothers, a sister, and his parents.

“His mother and I are taking it pretty rough,” his father, Bruce Harris, 72, told The Associated Press.

Among his children, Brian was the toughest to raise because of a rebellious side, and “he wanted to do things his way,” Bruce Harris said.

Yet he and his son grew closer than ever after he joined the Army, served in the Gulf War and returned to Utah to be a deputy.

“He and I had the most conflict when he was young, and the way it worked out he’s the one I depended on for about everything,” Bruce Harris said. “He was our go-to guy in the family, and he was a pillar of the community.”

Harris said his son most enjoyed saving people and animals as part of his job, and was the one lowered from helicopters during rescues.

“He figured there was nobody better than him to put it out on the line,” Bruce Harris said.

(This version CORRECTS Revises lead to correct that shooting came after attempted burglary instead of robbery. Minor edits.)