Hammond, IN – Shortly after midnight on May 26th, an Indiana State Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a gray Hyundai Elantra for a traffic violation. The location of the traffic stop was I-94 EB 2.4 mile-marker, which is at Indianapolis Blvd. During the stop, the trooper requested immediate assistance after encountering two non-compliant occupants inside the vehicle. The trooper advised the dispatcher that he was holding the suspects at gunpoint while waiting for backup to arrive.
An officer from the Hammond Police Department and two officers from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department were the first to arrive on scene. As officers approached the suspect vehicle, the driver produced a handgun, and an exchange of gunfire occurred between the suspect and responding officers.
The driver was struck during the exchange of gunfire and was pronounced deceased at the scene. A handgun used by the suspect was recovered at the scene.
The Indiana State Trooper sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. An officer with the Hammond Police Department transported the trooper to Munster Community Hospital for treatment. He is currently being treated at the University of Chicago Hospital and is listed in stable condition. No other officers were injured. The trooper is a K9 handler; his K9 partner was present during the incident but was not injured.
A 34-year-old female passenger from the vehicle was taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Jail on a 48-hour Probable Cause Hold. Investigators have 48 hours to submit charges, or the individual must be released.
This investigation is in the very early stages and all information remains preliminary.
Further details will be released as they become available and as investigators continue to gather facts surrounding the incident.
The Lake County Coroner has identified the deceased as Aaron Barnes, 34, from Gary, Indiana. An autopsy is pending.
While it won’t be today, the Indiana State Police will provide the name of the injured Trooper at an appropriate time.