Hearing postponed for suspect accused of shooting Phoenix police officers; here's why

PHOENIX (AZ family) — A court hearing for the suspect accused of shooting two Phoenix police officers, one of whom died, has been postponed.

Saul Bal, 41, was scheduled to appear in Maricopa County Superior Court on Friday morning. However, Bal reportedly refused to be transported to the courthouse and a request for a continuance was filed.

Earlier this week, Bal was charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder,... — Earlier this week, Bal was charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, burglary and misconduct involving weapons.(Arizona Family/Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

Bal’s court appearance, during which he will plead and enter a plea, is now scheduled for October 4.

Earlier this week, he was charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, burglary and misconduct involving weapons.

Bal allegedly shot Officer Zane Coolidge and Officer Matthew Haney as they responded to reports of a car break-in near 16th Street and McDowell Road on September 3.

Officer Zane Coolidge (left) died from the shooting days later, and Officer Matthew... — Officer Zane Coolidge (left) died from the shooting days later, and Officer Matthew Haney (right) is recovering at home.

Coolidge died of his injuries three days after the shooting. Haney was released from the hospital and is recovering at home.

Officer Coolidge was laid to rest earlier this week. His wife, Kristen, was among the many people who spoke at the funeral. She said her husband was known as “one of the good guys.” He also leaves behind a 5-month-old daughter, Emma.

Arizona’s Family has previously detailed Bal’s criminal history. Arizona’s Family Investigates identified 40 criminal charges against Bal over the past 17 years. At least 18 of those charges have been dropped.

Records from Phoenix Municipal Court, Navajo County Superior Court, Pinal County, Casa Grande Justice Court, Yuma Municipal Court and Orange County, California, show charges ranging from misdemeanor trespassing to felonious assault on a police officer. Bal has been sentenced to prison multiple times in Arizona and served two years in prison in California.

See a spelling or grammar mistake in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a current topic? Submit it belongs to us here with a brief description.