2 SWAT officers injured, suspect killed in Indiana shootout

GARY, Ind. — Police fatally shot a suspect Monday after he opened fire and injured two members of a SWAT team who stormed a Gary, Indiana, apartment complex seeking to apprehend him, authorities said.

Gary Police Lt. Dawn Westerfield said the officers were shot while assisting the Merrillville Police Department with an investigation at the complex. Westerfield said the suspect targeted by the investigation barricaded himself in a residence.

After two hours of negotiation, the Gary SWAT team sought to enter the residence and the suspect opened fire, striking the two officers. An officer returned fire, killing the shooter.

Westerfield says Cpl. James Nielsen, a 17-year-old veteran, was shot in the chest, with the bullet deflected by his protective vest, and once in the arm. Cpl. John Artibey, a 14-year-veteran, took shrapnel to the chin and abdomen. Both were being treated and reported in stable condition.

Authorities haven’t identified the dead suspect, described as a man in his 20s.