INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man in his 80s was in critical condition after he pointed a handgun at officers and they fired back, Indianapolis police say.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers at 11:35 a.m. Tuesday responded to a report of a person shot in a residential neighborhood in the 5100 block of West Vermont Street. That’s north of Rockville Road off North Lynhurst Drive.

By the time police subdued the man, they found evidence that he may have been suffering from mental health issues. Police have not publicly shared the man’s name.

“I’m sadden to be here. Once again, we find ourselves in a situation where trauma ripples out in our community,” said Lt. Michael Wolley from IMPD.

No officers were injured in the shooting.

IMPD says officers arrived to find a man outside of the house holding a gun. Officers took cover behind nearby trees.

Officers told the man more than 16 times to put down the gun, IMPD says. Multiple officers reported that the man pointed his gun several times before two IMPD officers discharged their weapons.

When officers approached the man, he had injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. It was unclear if the officers who fired their weapons struck the man.

Wayne Township Fire Department medics initially assisted with the man who’d been shot, and subsequently aided officers in providing medical assistance before taking him to a hospital.

Police say the initial caller was a man reporting that he had been shot and gave a description of the shooter who matched the armed man. The caller also told police the man was still at the home.

IMPD stated that the phone number of the initial caller belonged to the armed man. Additionally, IMPD clarified that no evidence of another person being shot was found apart from the man.

Officers found a note inside the home stating that the man planned to commit suicide. Authorities described the man as being in his 80s. IMPD says the elderly man told medics that he shot himself multiple times and he wanted to die.

The Indy Tabernaculo church sits in the same block where the shooting happened. A church worker tells News 8 that the home where the shooting happened belonged to an elderly man with Alzheimer’s disease.

A resident of the area where the shooting happened, Bill Parson, says he was not surprised by the violence. “This goes on all the time.”

Parson tells News 8 that his trailer recently was stolen and, in a separate incident, shots were fired. “It happens. I got two bullet holes in my shed out back.” 

IMPD reports that a handgun was found near where the man was located.

As standard procedure in a police shooting investigation, the two IMPD officers who fired their weapons were placed on administrative leave.

Anyone with information was asked to call Detective Larry Craciunoiu at the homicide office by calling 317-327-3475.

Mental health resources

• Be Well Indiana
• Indiana Suicide Prevention
• Indiana Department of Child Services’ Children’s Mental Health Initiative
• National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 800-273-8255
• More resources