Man in critical condition after exchanging gunfire with trooper, ISP says

A man has been hospitalized in critical condition after a scuffle and exchange of gunfire with a state trooper late Monday afternoon on Indianapolis’ east side, according to law enforcement officials.

No one else was injured, Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine said.

At around 5 p.m., the trooper responded to the gas station on Brookville Road, just off of Interstate 465, to assist Morristown police with a possible armed suspect, he said. Perrine couldn’t say what the man was suspected of doing.

The man, a 31-year-old whose name wasn’t released, resisted arrest in an encounter behind the gas station, the sergeant said. He then ran to the front, where he shot at the trooper and the trooper then shot at him, Perrine said.

ISP Sgt. John Perrine first announced the shooting in a tweet at 5:12 p.m.

“The trooper is OK,” he said then.

A handgun believed to belong to the suspect was recovered at the scene. Perrine said the trooper will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol for officer-involved shootings.

Kelly Rice, manager of a store across the street from the gas station, heard the activity.

“I was ringing out a customer and we both said, ‘It sounded like somebody blew a tire’ and then all of a sudden you heard a pop pop, pop, pop pop and then tires squealing off,” Rice said. “It was alarming.”

This story will update.

John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.