Man shot by police and police dog stabbed in possible break-in; both in stable condition

A man was in stable condition early Saturday evening after being shot by Indianapolis police on the south side, according to IMPD — the third time officers have shot someone in the past month.

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department dog stabbed in the same incident also was reported to be in stable condition early Saturday.

The call initially came in as a break-in at an auto repair shop on West Raymond Street just before 8 p.m. Friday, police said. The business owner said he could see someone in the building via a security camera, police said.

Officer Samone Burris said that officers and a K9 named Ringo entered the business and went into an inner office, where they found a suspected burglar. The man stabbed Ringo, and officers shot the man. No officers were injured.

“IMPD officers respond to business and burglary alarms and residential alarms often,” Burris said. “Many times it is nothing. This time it was something. Officers set up a perimeter, they gave themselves time and they did what they were trained to do.”

Having security cameras in place and a business representative at the scene “allowed us to do things right,” she said.

The man found inside the business, whose name hasn’t been released, has preliminarily been arrested for burglary, resisting law enforcement and cruelty to a law enforcement animal.

It’s the third time in a month Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers have shot a person. In the other two incidents — one stemming from a traffic stop and the other a standoff with a mentally ill person with a machete — the men died.

The first of the fatal shootings, the Aug. 3 death of Gary Harrell, prompted clergy to call for the resignation of Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor.

Asked early Saturday about the spate of shootings by officers, Burris said: “It’s very important to focus on the incident that occurred here today. And what occurred here today was a police service dog was injured, a police service dog doing its job … .”