INDIANAPOLIS — Two IMPD officers were shot during a pursuit on the east side of Indianapolis Thursday.
"I heard 'pop, pop, pop' and I was like ‘woah, those are gun shots,’” Eric Frazier at Schmidt Automotive said.
Frazier was grabbing his boss a drink from a nearby Circle K when he saw the commotion.
“I saw the cops barreling street, chasing that black SUV," Frazier said.
Officers were attempting a traffic stop near 30th Street and Post Road when two suspects fled the scene.
The ensuing gunfire startled Darien Jefferson, who lives around the corner.
“I heard the gunshots go off, like 50 to 40 rounds. I looked out the door and I saw two people running with ARs behind the house right behind us," Jefferson said.
His immediate instinct was to get low and protect his family.
“I've got a mini dirt bike, it’s like a dolly. I put [it] down and I put it in front of the door, like a barrier, because this neighborhood is kind of bad," Jefferson said.
His 8-year-old son Nehemiah was at school when the shooting happened.
“We thought people were going to break into the school and try to shoot all the people up. Break in, try to kill all the people that’s in my school," the Lakeside Elementary School student said.
Nehemiah says his class was on lockdown for 30 minutes.
He and his classmates hid under desks, scared and confused.
“They told us to get behind the teacher’s desk, get behind the teacher and get under her desk. That’s what we do," Nehemiah said.
Nehemiah may only be 8 years old, but in his short life he’s experienced violence first hand.
He wants Indy’s east side to be a safer place.
“The kids need to stop getting shot. And so do the police. They need to fix this world and make it better," Nehemiah said.
IMPD says both officers were taken to Eskenazi Hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Frazier wishes them a speedy recovery and extends his gratitude for their service.
“We appreciate the cops being out there doing what they do. I respect the hell out of cops. I thank every one of them for being out here and doing their job because if they weren’t upholding the law, it would be anarchy," Frazier said.
