Man, Woman Shot By Police In East Chicago, Indiana; Police Say Probationary Officer Stepped In After Veteran Officer's Leg Got Pinned By Driver
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (CBS) -- Details were emerging Wednesday afternoon about a chaotic traffic stop that ended with two people getting shot by police in Northwest Indiana earlier.
As CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reported, the police shooting in East Chicago all started over some bad license plates.
Following the incident around 9 a.m. at Chicago Avenue and Indianapolis Boulevard in East Chicago, a veteran officer was treated at the hospital for a leg injury and released. A new officer – or probationary officer - took action, firing nine shots to stop his partner from getting pinned in their squad car as a suspect continuously rammed their vehicle.
Especially given that the probationary officer has he just a few months on the job, you could consider him a real hero.
It all started when an East Chicago police officer had a hit with a license plate reader on a beige Chevrolet Impala.
"It had fictitious plates," said East Chicago Deputy Police Chief Jose Rivera. "It came back to an Explorer."
The officer called for backup. A veteran field training officer and an officer he was training, pulled up in a sport-utility vehicle that was spotted at the scene afterward with side passenger damage.
East Chicago police said as the veteran officer opened the passenger door of the SUV, the driver of the Impala accelerated.
"It looks like it was intentional. He rammed the squad car. He pinned the field training officer's leg between the door and the front and center panel," Rivera said. "Once he rammed the car, he attempted to leave and kept accelerating, further pinning the officer's leg in the squad car."
That was when the officer he was training, who just graduated from the academy a few months ago, took action.
"At that time, the probationary officer had to open fire," Rivera said. "He did strike a passenger, a 21-year-old female from East Chicago, and also struck the driver, who was a 20-year-old male out of Chicago, Illinois."
Police found a 9mm Glock with a 30-round extended magazine inside the Impala. They're investigating to see if it was a legal gun.
The 21-year-old woman was shot three times - in her hip, backside, and waist. Her condition was stabilized.
The 20-year-old male driver was shot in the neck. He was in serious condition.
The Lake County, Indiana Sheriff's Department is in charge of the investigation.
