INDIANAPOLIS — Two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were stabbed in an "unprovoked attack" while responding to a disturbance call early Wednesday on the city's north side.
The officers then shot and wounded the man, according to IMPD.
Police said Wednesday afternoon that the officer who was stabbed in the neck is in good condition and remains hospitalized. An officer who was stabbed in the chest has been released from the hospital.
The officers were identified by IMPD on Dec. 9 as 21-year veteran Officer Stephen Elliott and 4-year veteran Officer Ryne Lane.
Medics also transported the 20-year-old man who was shot to Methodist Hospital. He was released from the hospital and arrested.
The man is preliminarily charged with two counts of attempted murder. WRTV does not name suspects until they are formally charged by prosecutors.
IMPD officers responded to a disturbance around 1:15 a.m. in the 1400 block of Fairfield Avenue, just south of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Police said officers found a man who said another person was harassing him.
Police say the man, who was armed with multiple knives, stabbed one officer in the neck and the other in the chest in an "unprovoked attack" when they turned and began walking away to continue the investigation. Both officers then fired their weapons at the man.
"We have been unable at this point to locate anybody else engaged in any sort of disturbance at this location," IMPD Assistant Chief Chris Bailey said. "The address in which we were pointed to appears to be uninhabited at this point. There is no one else that we are talking to. There's no one else that's come forward with any information that they were engaged in some sort of dispute with this suspect. It was 100% unprovoked."
No other injuries were reported.
Responding officers are credited with saving the life of the officer who was stabbed in the neck by using equipment provided to them by taxpayer dollars.
"It was the actions of the officers involved as well as their back up assisting officers and the medical treatment that was provided to them on scene via the trauma kits that the FOP, community members, the Central Indiana Police Foundation and many many others, including citizens in our community, have made possible," Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police President Rick Snyder said.
Multiple officers had body-worn cameras, which were on at the time of the incident and captured the attack.
"I have viewed one of the body-worn camera videos," Bailey said. "It's disturbing and it is heroic all at the same time."
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett tweeted about the incident Wednesday morning saying, "This morning’s incident underscores the bravery of @IMPDnews officers and the seriousness of the challenges they face keeping our community safe. I’m heartened to hear that all involved are in stable condition; my thoughts and appreciation are with these officers and the entire department."
The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team and Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency responded to the scene to conduct an investigation and will consult the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.
IMPD Internal Affairs will conduct a separate administrative investigation. The officers who fired their guns are on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
The civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will also conduct a mandatory hearing.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Sgt. Michael Duke at 317-327-3475 or email him at Michael.Duke@indy.gov. People can also call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
