INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer was injured when a suspect backed an SUV into the officer and the wall of a business during a wellness check.

The suspect was shot by a second officer and hospitalized.

The officer is in “good condition,” according to IMPD Chief Chris Bailey.

“Our hope is that there is no structural damage,” Bailey said. “There’s nothing broken or nothing permanent, and it’s looking like it’s heading that way, but it sure didn’t look like that at the beginning.”

A heroic Indianapolis EMS medic rushed into the active scene to rescue the struck officer dragging his body behind the ambulance for cover.

Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services was staged in the parking lot of the business prior to the police shooting due to the initial welfare check.

The suspect is reportedly stable, but there is no word on his condition.

“We get into this business to preserve life so I would be remiss and I would be unempathetic if I did not recognize that we had a neighbor, a community member, also injured in this incident,” Bailey said. “Regardless of whether or not he was a suspect or not, that individual was going through some things tonight and that person’s family is, and we have to recognize that.”

Jenifer Bacher witnessed and heard it all happen. She was in town visiting from Utah.

“As I turned around the corner here in the parking lot, I hear shots,” Bacher said. “Several gunshots. Just pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. All of a sudden, you saw cops behind a cop car, aiming their guns, trying to be safe and keep cover. You saw a body being dragged across the parking lot to behind the ambulance.”

Original story

Just after 4:15 p.m. Thursday, IMPD North District officers were called to a business in the 1500 block of North Meridian Street to check the welfare of a person. Officers learned the person was unresponsive inside a parked car near the front of the business’s drive thru. Officers learned that, prior to their arrival, employees were unsuccessful in getting the driver to respond.

Officers approached the vehicle, knocked on the window several times, shined a flashlight at the driver, and activated their sirens and lights in an attempt to make contact with the driver.

After four minutes, the adult male driver opened his window and made contact with one of the officers through a rolled-down front passenger window. The officer asked the driver to unlock the vehicle and put the car in park. The suspect unlocked the passenger door and the officer opened it.

Through an open passenger door, the officer asked the driver, “Are you okay?” He then asked the driver to get out of the vehicle and told the driver they were concerned about his welfare.

The suspect then got out of the vehicle. The second officer, who was near the driver side door, told the suspect he was trying to make contact with him for several minutes. He also asked the suspect to come toward the back of the vehicle to make sure he was okay.

The suspect did not listen to the officers, and then got back into his car while the driver door was still open. The officer near the driver side door of the car then grabbed the suspect’s arm and told him to get out of the car.

The suspect reversed the vehicle, pinning the officer between the vehicle and the wall, striking the officer with the driver side door. That is when the officer on the passenger side then discharged his firearm, striking the suspect at least once.

The officers continued to give loud verbal commands for the suspect to show his hands, get out of the vehicle, and get on the ground. The officer then told the suspect to move towards the front of the vehicle, telling him, “Move this way now.”

The suspect then exited the vehicle and laid on the ground. Officers approached and handcuffed him. An IMPD officer then applied a tourniquet to the suspect’s arm.

While the initial officer was giving loud verbal commands, an IEMS medic went to the officer laying on the ground and dragged the officer away from the suspect’s vehicle. The injured officer was provided aid from staged medics.

The officer who was struck by the vehicle was taken to a local hospital in good condition. The suspect driver was also taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

No uninvolved citizens or uninvolved officers were injured in the incident.

Investigators said there is no ongoing threat to the community and there are no additional suspects involved.

A separate administrative investigation is being conducted by IMPD Internal Affairs. The officer who fired his gun was placed on administrative leave as is standard procedure in a police shooting investigation.

Officers ask that anyone with information related to this incident contact Detective Christopher Winter at 317-327-3475. Alternatively, anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 317-262-8477.