GARY, Ind. — Police say a suspect, who's in custody, allegedly ambushed and shot a veteran Gary police officer Monday as the officer was investigating a vehicle that was driving recklessly.
Gary police Cmdr. Jack Hamady said Tuesday that Sgt. William Fazekas saw a vehicle driving recklessly just before 2 p.m. Monday and followed it before it came to a stop.
Hamady says the officer activated his lights and exited his vehicle to investigate "when he was ambushed by a barrage of gunfire."
The suspect ran away but was arrested later Monday in a nearby abandoned home.
Fazekas was taken to an area hospital for treatment and was reported to be in stable condition. As of Tuesday morning, Fazekas was still in stable condition and expected to undergo surgery for a gunshot wound to his shoulder, Gary police said in an update.
Fazekas is a 32-year veteran of the police force and assigned to the Gary Police Department's Violent Crimes Division.
After the shooting, police in northwest Indiana launched an extensive manhunt for the person responsible. The Sheriff's Department Aviation Unit responded to the scene to assist officers on the ground, authorities said.
Just a few hours after the shooting police said a suspect was in custody.
Police were initially unsure if there were any additional suspects at large but later determined there was only one suspect and that person had been arrested.
At the time of publishing, authorities had not yet released the suspect's name.
The Lake County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation.