Indianapolis Police Officers Stabbed by Suspect with Multiple Knives

Two Indianapolis police officers were stabbed early Wednesday morning during an attack near a residential area on the north side of Indianapolis, according to law enforcement officials.

The officers shot and wounded the man after they were stabbed, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Chris Bailey said, and both the officers and the man were in stable condition early Wednesday.

A police report filed in the case indicates a 20-year-old man was arrested and is facing two preliminary charges of attempted murder.

The stabbing occurred after officers responded to a report of a disturbance in the 1400 block of Fairfield Avenue, a neighborhood near East 38th Street and Fall Creek Parkway North Drive, shortly after 1 a.m.

Police said two officers encountered a man "who reported another individual was harassing him." The officers told the man they'd try to find the person, police said, and, as they turned and walked away, were stabbed by the man who reported the alleged harassment.

"The officers then gave verbal commands and discharged their weapons when the suspect failed to listen to their commands," Bailey told reporters. "This was 100% unprovoked."

Both officers were taken to Eskenazi Hospital in stable condition, and the suspect shot by police was at Methodist Hospital and in stable condition as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. No other people were injured, police said.

The man was armed with "multiple knives" at the time of the stabbings, police said. Officers were unable to find "anyone else engaged in any sort of disturbance at this location."

The man who stabbed police was the person who initially called 9-1-1, Bailey noted, and the address to which police were directed was vacant. "There is no one else that we're talking to," Bailey said. Investigators will look into the suspect's previous interactions with police, as well as the man's criminal history, as they search for a motive behind the stabbing.

Multiple officers had body-worn cameras, which were activated at the time of the stabbing and shooting. Bailey noted he reviewed some of the footage.

"It's disturbing, and it's heroic all at the same time," he said.

IMPD's Critical Incident Response Team responded to conduct the criminal investigation.

The officers who fired their guns have been placed on administrative leave — standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting investigation. IMPD Internal Affairs will conduct separate administrative investigation.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office will also be consulted throughout the investigation, according to police.

Bailey early Wednesday praised the officers as heroes and noted this year has been particularly difficult "with violent crime the way it has been." There have been 248 homicides in Indianapolis so far this year — the most ever in the city.

"It's not because they aren't doing their job," Bailey said of the violence and police. "They are putting in the work every single day. They put themselves in some pretty dangerous situations. We're all very lucky to have people like that in our community."

No additional information about the incident has been released.

Police ask anyone with information to contact Sergeant Michael Duke at 317-327-3475 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Anonymous tips can be given to Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.

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