LOUISVILLE, Ky. --
A police-involved shooting sent an officer to the hospital and left two suspects facing charges. Louisville Metro Police Department said an armed robbery turned into a car chase and then a foot pursuit through south Louisville Friday afternoon.
LMPD Chief Robert White said it started around 3:40 p.m. Friday in the 1900 block of South Seventh Street.
"All I saw was a car fly past us, and I heard bullets fly past us," said Louis Charlton, a witness.
"Anywhere from seven to eight gunshots going off," said another man who wanted to remain anonymous.
"I was nervous," Louis Charlton said. "I didn't know what to do. I'm from the projects. All I know is you hear bullets, you go down."
Police said the chaos began with an armed robbery. Then, police said Philip Shaw and Andrew Armstrong fled in a car toward Iowa Avenue, where they said officers surrounded the car the suspects were driving.
"They didn't get out the car," said witness Louisha Charlton. "And the police officer was like, 'Get out the car, I'm going to shoot.'"
"The driver of the car at that time, struck one of the officers," said White. "Shots were fired by the officers, striking one of the individuals."
"He took off driving down Iowa," said Charlton. "And they kept on shooting down Iowa with me and my kids walking down Iowa."
"The officer kept shooting," Louisha Charlton said. "I was ducking down. I was crying and ducking down, and we kept running ... I was feeling very scared. I was crying. I didn't know what to do."
Even though Shaw was shot in the shoulder, the pair continued driving. The car chase turned into a foot pursuit after the suspects ditched their car at Montana Avenue and Lillian Avenue.
Dozens of police officers converged on the neighborhood.
"It was like turning on the lights and cockroaches just running everywhere," said the witness who wanted to remain anonymous. "Weapons were drawn. Shotguns. Riot guns. Running into homes. Running around homes."
"It was a pretty thorough pursuit on the part of our officers and they recovered both of them," said White. "One was hiding inside a garage and the other was hiding behind a car."
Shaw was transported to the hospital. Armstrong was taken into custody in the 1200 block of Central Avenue.
Officers said Armstrong is charged with first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, first-degree fleeing and evading and second-degree burglary.
Shaw is charged with first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, first-degree fleeing and evading, second-degree burglary, first-degree assault on a police officer, first-degree criminal mischief and other charges. He is in custody at University Hospital.
Police said the injured officer suffered bruises to his shoulder and ribs.
He and the suspect have non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was hurt.
White said it's unclear whether the suspects fired any shots at the officers, but he said he did not think so.
He said two officers were involved in the shooting. They will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure.
White said one weapon was found at the scene.
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