APD: Officer shot by passenger during traffic stop at Anderson gas station, suspect injured

ANDERSON, Ind. – A Pendleton police officer is in the hospital after a passenger reportedly shot him during a traffic stop at an Anderson gas station. The suspect was then injured when police returned fire.

Anderson Police PIO Caleb McKnight said officers were called to a police-involved shooting at a GetGo on Broadway Street in north Anderson on Tuesday afternoon.

McKnight said that around 2:30 p.m., a Pendleton police officer stopped a woman who was driving a car and was involved in a criminal investigation. While the officer was restraining her, a man in the passenger seat reportedly began shooting at the officer from inside the car.

Police said the officer pulled the female driver to safety before returning fire and shooting the passenger, who eventually got out of the car and fell to the ground. McKnight said multiple shots were fired during the incident and the driver was not injured.

The officer in the incident was struck in the upper body and is being treated at an Anderson hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The male suspect in the shooting suffered life-threatening injuries and was ultimately taken to an Indianapolis hospital in serious condition, McKnight said.

McKnight said APD will lead the investigation. He could not immediately confirm whether the officer was wearing a body camera or whether a handgun was recovered at the scene. He said investigators are looking into what exactly led to the initial traffic stop.

Anyone with information about the shooting or what led to it is asked to call APD Det. Brett Webb at (765) 648-6731. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-TIPS.