INDIANAPOLIS — Police in Indianapolis are investigating after a suspect fired a shot at an officer on the east side of the city on Thursday.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were in the area of 21st Street and Emerson Avenue working an investigation at 3:25 p.m.
Police located a suspect who had a warrant out for his arrest in the 5100 block of E. 21st Street.
IMPD says officers attempted to approach the suspect, but the man fled on foot with a handgun in his hand. Officers began a foot pursuit in the area.
At some point during the pursuit, the suspect fired a shot at an officer. The officer did not return fire, police say.
After the shot was fired, officers lost visual of the suspect as he continued to flee. IMPD SWAT Team, K-9 units, drone operators and crisis negotiators responded to the scene to assist.
Officers were able to locate the suspect inside a residence in the 1900 block of Hawthorne Lane.
IMPD SWAT officers began giving loud, verbal commands using a PA system to any occupants of the residence. The suspect was believed to be the only person inside the home and remained barricaded inside the residence for several hours, according to police.
Police say negotiators communicated with the suspect over the phone and attempted to get him to surrender peacefully, but he refused. Eventually IMPD SWAT pushed the door of the residence open using an armored vehicle.
IMPD says the suspect began throwing firecrackers at officers and setting fireworks off inside the home. SWAT utilized tear gas to lure the suspect out of the home but he did not leave.
Eventually, SWAT entered the residence to search for him. They found him suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound with a handgun in his lap. The suspect was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
No officers were injured in the incident. There is no ongoing threat to the community.
Homicide Investigators from the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) have taken the lead on the criminal investigation, which is standard procedure in an investigation involving shots fired at a law enforcement officer.
Anyone with information on this incident should contact the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-8477.
