INDIANAPOLIS — For the second time this week, a man has been shot by a state trooper in Indianapolis.
Indiana State Police say the shooting occurred Thursday at approximately 11:30 a.m. near the intersection of 34th and Franklin Road.
State police said the trooper was not injured.
“During that traffic stop, one of the people in the car bailed out on foot. The troopers pursued the person on foot and at some point one of the two troopers fired shots,” said IPS Sgt. John Perrine.
Sgt. Perrine said officers provided medical assistance to the suspect, who was taken to the hospital with what appear to be non-life threatening injuries.
State police claim they did recover a firearm belonging to the suspect. Perrine said at this time he could not say if the suspect drew the firearm or pointed the weapon toward the pursuing troopers.
A preliminary investigation, ISP said, shows that two troopers in the same marked car attempted to pull over a black Dodge Charger that was driving erratically and that as the Charger was coming to a stop a passenger got out and ran.
ISP said the troopers followed the man, later identified as 23-year-old Mitez Harper of Indianapolis, and radioed to other police that they were chasing an armed suspect on foot.
Harper, according to police, ran into a nearby neighborhood while carrying a handgun with an extended magazine. As he emerged from behind a house, ISP said Trooper Isaiah Henderson fired one shot and hit Harper in the arm.
The suspect, ISP said, then laid on the ground while officers took him into custody. After apprehending him, ISP said Trooper Henderson placed a tourniquet on Harper’s arm and treated him until EMS arrived.
Trooper Henderson, ISP said, was the only member of law enforcement to fire a weapon. He is now placed on administrative leave, as is standard protocol for officers who discharge a weapon. Both troopers involved in the chase were wearing body cameras and had activated dashboard cameras, ISP said.
Investigators, ISP said, later determined that Mitez Harper was wanted on an active warrant for kidnapping.
On Monday, a man was critically injured after being shot by a state trooper on Brookville Road, also on the city’s east side. In the Brookville shooting, an armed man reportedly exchanged fire with a trooper before being struck.
State Police said these incidents illustrate how every encounter with the public is unique and potentially dangerous.
“Every incident we deal with is different. They all have different outcomes. This incident is not connected to the one earlier this week. Certainly there are a lot of questions and we want to answers, but it is unusual to have these,” said Perrine.
So far, police did not have any more background information on the suspect to release and couldn’t say for sure why he tried to run from their troopers.
Police were continuing to search for the suspect’s car which was driven away from the scene by another person.
Jesse Wells contributed to this report.