INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer is home from the hospital after they were injured early Sunday morning on the city's southeast side.
The incident happened around 2 a.m. in the 6500 block of Knobstone Way, IMPD Officer William Young said in an email.
A call for help was received by dispatchers around 1:53 a.m., a source tells WRTV Investigates. The caller indicated a person was suffering from mental and emotional issues.
IMPD says officers used mental health and de-escalation training while talking to the person, identified as a male. While waiting for an ambulance to take him to the hospital for evaluation, police say the man, unprovoked, lunged at the officer and grabbed the officer's holstered gun.
"During the struggle for the gun, it discharged injuring the male suspect’s finger and the officer’s leg. The fired round did not penetrate the officer’s skin," an email from IMPD Saturday afternoon read.
The officer and suspect were taken to the hospital, and the officer has been released and is at home, IMPD said.
Body cameras were worn and activated during the incident. The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) responded to the scene to conduct the criminal investigation and the Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency is assisting.
IMPD says Internal Affairs will conduct a separate administrative investigation and the officer whose weapon was discharged has been placed on administrative leave.
Police say the suspect is still in the hospital and any final charging decisions will be made by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.
This is the at least third IMPD officer to be shot this year.
On Aug. 11, an IMPD officer was shot after they responded to a domestic disturbance on the city's northeast side. In May, IMPD Officer Elizabeth Iverson was shot when a pursuit came to an end near West 30th Street and Riverside Drive.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
