Indiana sheriff's deputy shot three times in hospital ER after stopping to help stranded motorist

An Indiana sheriff’s lawman was changeable 3 times Friday greeting successful a infirmary exigency country by a stranded motorist helium had stopped to assistance and aboriginal learned mightiness beryllium connected to an earlier crime, authorities said.

La Porte County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Samuelson, a 12-year seasoned of the force, was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital and remains successful captious condition. The alleged gunman, Sharod Grafton Jr., was arrested successful the woods adjacent the infirmary minutes aft the shooting.

Samuelson, 33, was driving to a grooming league astir 6:45 a.m. erstwhile helium stopped to assistance a stranded motorist, Grafton, connected State Road 2, authorities said. At immoderate constituent the lawman took Grafton, a Chicago resident, to Franciscan Hospital successful Michigan City astatine his request, constabulary said.

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LaPorte County Sheriff's Office lawman Jon Samuelson was changeable 3 times connected Friday wrong an Indiana infirmary by Sharod Grafton, Jr., constabulary said.  (Indiana State Police)

"Once astatine the hospital, the serviceman learned that the taxable whitethorn person been progressive successful an earlier transgression incident," Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield told reporters. "The serviceman returned wrong the infirmary wherever an altercation took spot successful the exigency country betwixt the fishy and himself, which resulted successful the fishy producing a firearm and shooting the officer."

Authorities did not specify the transgression Grafton is allegedly connected to.

Grafton fled into a adjacent wooded country but was rapidly arrested, authorities said. A handgun believed to person been successful his possession was found, constabulary said.

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Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield talks to reporters astir a sheriff's lawman who was changeable hours earlier wrong a hospital. (WFLD)

"This is simply a senseless shooting that didn't person to instrumentality place," Fifield said. "Our officers and deputies from the La Porte County Sheriff's Department and each implicit the authorities of Indiana and Illinois hazard their lives each day. This serviceman thought helium was helping a stranded motorist and it turned into this. So erstwhile again, helium was retired helping idiosyncratic and it turned into this."

Samuelson, who is joined with nary children, comes from a "long lineage of instrumentality enforcement," constabulary said. His gramps was the main of constabulary for the metropolis of La Porte, and his begetter is simply a retired Michigan City constabulary officer, authorities said.

The La Porte County Sheriff's Office called the shooting an "isolated incident" and said determination was nary contiguous menace to the public. The Indiana State Police are starring the probe into the shooting.

Charges are pending against Grafton, who is being held successful the Porter County Jail.

"La Porte County friends and neighbors, we are asking for our assemblage to emergence up, rally together, and assistance Deputy Jon Samuelson and his household successful supplication and enactment during this incredibly challenging time," La Porte County Sheriff Sheriff Ronald Heeg. 

The Indiana State Police is investigating the shooting of a sheriff's lawman by a gunman wrong a hospital.  (Indiana State Police)

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In a statement, Franciscan Health said the information and wellness of its patients are ever the apical priority.

"The exigency section remains connected ambulance bypass, but walk-in patients are being accepted done the main entranceway to the hospital," the infirmary said. "Franciscan Physician Network aesculapian offices connected tract are closed astatine this time. All different services and departments stay unfastened arsenic normal."