The officer who was shot on Friday night on the north side of Indianapolis has been released from the hospital, and the man accused of shooting him has been arrested.
“The officer remains in good spirits and is on the road to recovery,” the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department told WRTV on Monday.
IMPD told WRTV on Monday that the suspect, 24-year-old Victor Garcia-Lopez, has been arrested and preliminarily charged with attempted murder.
IMPD posted to X Saturday evening and issued the following statement:
“We are grateful to share that the IMPD officer who was shot yesterday while bravely serving our community was released from the hospital today.
The officer was surrounded by fellow officers and dedicated medical staff who provided exceptional care and support throughout his recovery in the hospital.
While the healing journey is just beginning, we remain incredibly proud of this officer and all of our officers for their courage, resilience, and steadfast commitment to the people of Indianapolis.”
Officers had been called shortly before 10:15 p.m. Friday to a house in the 6400 block of North Washington Boulevard.
In an impromptu news conference from the crime scene early Saturday, Public Information Officer Drew Brown said officers were responding to a report that a person had been killed in the house and a firearm was potentially involved.
At a second press conference outside Eskenazi Hospital after 2 a.m. Saturday, IMPD Asst. Chief Michael Wolley clarified that when officers arrived, they did not find a person killed but found a man, believed to be intoxicated, acting erratically.
The man did not stop to speak with officers; instead, he walked away and told officers to shoot him. Wolley says at this point, the man drew a firearm and fired shots toward police.
One officer was shot as a result; at least one IMPD officer returned fire and struck the suspect, Garcia-Lopez, at least once. As of 6 a.m. Saturday, the suspect remained in critical condition.
On Monday, IMPD told WRTV that Garcia-Lopez is still in the hospital “in critical but stable condition.”
IMPD said they will not be releasing the name of the injured officer.
In the aftermath of the shooting, IMPD Chief Tanya Terry condemned gun violence, especially toward officers.
“The suspect made a choice to pick up a gun and shoot at officers,” Chief Terry said. “Make different choices. Put your guns down. Don’t shoot at the cops. I’m grateful that the neighbors called for help, because they were in danger, and our officers intervened. Thankfully, they’re going to go home, eventually, but not without wounds.”
The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team is leading the criminal investigation. A separate administrative investigation is being conducted by IMPD Internal Affairs.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Kyle Hoover at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475, or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous.
