One suspect is in custody and another remains at large after a man allegedly opened fire on Lake County sheriff’s deputies with a high-powered rifle in Gary on Wednesday evening.
According to authorities, an officer with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department High Crime Unit was driving in the 400 block of Adams Street at approximately 9:42 p.m. when he saw a vehicle drive through a red light.
The officer followed the car as it accelerated westbound on 4th Avenue, reaching speeds of approximately 50 miles per hour. The officer activated his lights, and the vehicle slowed to a stop near an intersection.
The officer then ordered the driver of the car to roll down the window, and after cracking the window open the driver took off, driving westbound on 4th Avenue.
The officer resumed pursuing the vehicle, and a second officer joined him. As another officer attempted to position his patrol car to stop the fleeing vehicle, the passenger side door opened and a passenger pointed a rifle at the two police vehicles and opened fire.
The vehicle then drove onto a lawn in the 5100 block of 4th Avenue, and both occupants fled the scene. The passenger continued firing the rifle as he ran, according to police.
A K-9 unit was deployed and tracked down the driver nearby, and he was taken to a nearby hospital and taken into custody. He now faces multiple charges, according to authorities.
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A second K-9 unit attempted to find the passenger, but was unable to do so.
Officers recovered an AR-15 rifle in a bush on Hanley Street, and also recovered a handgun inside of the suspects’ vehicle.
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A police vehicle was struck multiple times by gunfire, and approximately 30 shell casings were recovered at the scene.
An investigation into the incident remains underway. No description of the second suspect was immediately available.
