Ind. State Police Trooper Shot in Chest During Traffic Stop Gunfight

An Indiana State Police trooper was shot in the chest during a traffic stop shootout early Tuesday that left an armed driver dead.

The shooting happened shortly after midnight when a trooper pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation, Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said during a news conference. At one point, the trooper radioed for help because he had the driver and a passenger at gunpoint.

Gunfire erupted when the driver drew gun after two Lake County sheriff's deputies and a Hammond police officer reached the scene. The trooper, a K-9 officer, and the armed driver were both struck in the exchange.

The trooper was shot in the chest and rushed to the hospital by the Hammond police officer. Once at the hospital, the trooper, who was wearing a ballistic vest, was later taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center to undergo surgery, and he was in stable condition, according to authorities.

Fifield said the trooper is expected to make a full recovery.

The 34-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger—a 34-year-old woman—was uninjured and taken into custody.

The assisting deputies and officer weren't injured in the shootout. A passing tractor-trailer was struck by gunfire, but the driver was unharmed, Fifield said.

The wounded trooper, who had been with the agency for about eight years, wasn't identified. Fifield said his name would be released at an appropriate time.

This is the second shooting involving an Indiana State Police trooper and a wounded law enforcement officer in less than a week.

"This just needs to stop," said Fifield.

On Friday, a LaPorte County sheriff's deputy was shot three times by an armed man who fled a Michigan City hospital.

According to The Times of Munster, the deputy had taken the suspect to the hospital after finding him in a disabled vehicle. When the deputy learned the suspect was wanted in connection with a crime in Illinois, the man opened fire, and the deputy was struck three times.

The deputy was airlifted to a South Bend hospital, and he underwent an eight-hour surgery. He was in critical but stable condition Saturday.

The suspect was taken into custody. He was charged with attempted murder, battery against a public safety official and auto theft.

Both shootings are under investigation.