INDIANAPOLIS -- A 14-year veteran officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was injured Tuesday morning during a traffic stop and chase on Indy's southeast side.
The chase began as a traffic stop around 4 a.m. near the intersection of Southeastern Avenue and Prospect Street.
"Traffic stops -- there's nothing routine about them," Captain Michael Jefferson said at the scene. "Anytime we stop a car, we don't know what's in that car. We don't know if somebody's intending to do harm to us. That's why we're trained to handle situations like that."
During the chase, the suspect fired an assault rifle at Officer Christopher Maher, who returned fire, police said. The rounds went through Maher's front windshield and injured him. At least two people in the car got out and ran.
Police say Maher had glass shards in his left hand, but was not shot. He then stopped his vehicle.
The are was shut down while police had a perimeter set up. The roads were re-opened around 8 a.m.
.@rtv6 photographer @SheaGoodpaster w/look at closures near Southeastern & Prospect for police search #rtv6 pic.twitter.com/KWEJpEjwN8
— Michael (@MikeThePhotog) March 8, 2016
At the scene, the police car could be seen with a bullet hole in it.
Visible bullet hole in windshield of @IMPD_News cruiser. Officer was not hit. Suspect at large. @rtv6 #rtv6 pic.twitter.com/jcfnYO30NH
— Michael (@MikeThePhotog) March 8, 2016
Maher, who is assigned to the southeast district, was in good condition and was reportedly recovering at home with family.
On Tuesday night, IMPD said they believed they'd found the suspect vehicle – a blue Chevy Cavalier – burned on the northeast side near East 38th Street and North Emerson Avenue.
No arrests had yet been made.
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