Overnight Standoff Leads To Officer Involved Shooting Investigation
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an officer-involved shooting that happened in Gary Wednesday morning, according to Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez. The suspect in an armed hostage situation exited an apartment holding a 1-year-old boy and waving a gun. The suspect was then fatally wounded, Martinez stated.
At approximately 9 PM, Tuesday, April 8th, police officers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department responded to an apartment in the 2200 block of Carolina Street to assist Gary police with securing a perimeter around a building.
An armed man inside the apartment had reportedly held at least two people hostage, a 35-year-old male relative and a 1-year-old boy. Shots were fired inside the home and the 35-year-old sustained a minor injury. He was able to run from the home and refused medical treatment at the scene. The suspect refused to leave the apartment and fired multiple rounds at police during the incident.
The Gary SWAT Team requested the use of a Lake County Sheriff’s Department specialized tactical armored vehicle in an attempt to safely position officers closer to the scene. The sheriff’s department deployed the armored unit with 4 Lake County Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team members. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Drone Unit provided real-time aerial intelligence.
A ramming tool on the armored unit was used to breech the back door to the home and it was removed, Martinez said.
The Gary SWAT Team deployed tear gas inside the home, but the suspect refused to come out. He was observed approaching the front door several times with a gun in one hand and a baby in the other.
Sometime around 4:20 AM, on Wednesday, April 9th, the suspect walked out of the back doorway toward his vehicle holding the child and pointing a gun at police. At that time, a Gary police officer opened fire and the suspect was wounded. He was later pronounced deceased. The suspect is identified as a 38-year-old male.
The one-year-old was unharmed.
Lake County CSI collected evidence at the scene. The investigation of the incident is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.
