Suspect killed, 2 Indianapolis officers shot in gun battle

A deputy chief says two Indianapolis police officers wounded in a gun battle Thursday that left the suspect dead are expected to survive

Two Indianapolis police officers wounded in a Thursday gun battle that left the suspect dead are expected to survive, a deputy chief said.

The shooting involved officers who were members of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force, a joint effort among central Indiana police agencies charged with identifying and removing illegal weapons from the community, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Christopher Bailey said during a news briefing.

Following a brief pursuit around 12:40 p.m., the officers were shot by a 46-year-old suspect armed with an AR-15-style rifle who also “riddled” a police patrol vehicle with bullets, Bailey said. They were among four officers who shot at the suspect, he said.

The injured officers were taken to a hospital by other officers, were listed in stable condition and were expected to recover, Bailey said.

Their names and that of the suspect were not immediately released.

“We are fed up. The community should be fed up with it. We have two officers who are lucky to be alive today,'' Bailey said, his voice rising in anger.

A passenger from the suspect vehicle fled but was apprehended for questioning, he said.

Mayor Joe Hogsett said he has asked U.S. Attorney Zachary Myers for the assistance of the Justice Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in investigating the shooting and recent similar shootings.