LAWRENCE — A man is in critical condition after he was shot by an off-duty Lawrence Police Department officer early Monday during a fight at a bar on the northeast side in which investigators say the man fired a gun.
Officers with the Lawrence Police Department responded to the Mar y Sol Bar and Grill in the 8100 block of Pendleton Pike just before 2 a.m., according to LPD Deputy Chief Gary Woodruff.
Woodruff said a man fired gunshots during a disturbance involving a large group of people, which began inside the restaurant's bar and spilled outside into the parking lot.
Two off-duty Lawrence Police Department officers working security in the parking lot responded to the disturbance. One of the officers shot a man who allegedly fired the gunshots, Woodruff said.
"Apparently, it was several individuals, like a large group, was involved in this disturbance. At some point, as a part of the disturbance, somebody in that group started firing shots," Woodruff said. "That individual was engaged by our officers that were working off-duty employment on the parking lot."
Woodruff said it is not yet clear if the person shot by police fired gunshots at officers.
Medics transported the man to an area hospital in critical condition. His identity has not been released.
None of the police officers were injured.
The Marion County Crime Lab and the Marion County Prosecutor's Office will investigate the officer-involved shooting. Woodruff said the officer who fired the shots will be temporarily reassigned to administrative duty.
