Michigan City, Ind. — A Laporte County Sheriff’s deputy is in critical condition after being shot in a Michigan City hospital Friday morning.
The LaPorte County Sheriff confirmed the officer shot is 33-year-old Jon Samuelson.
He has been with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s office for 12 years as a K9 officer.
WSBT
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22-year-old Sharod Grafton, Junior from Chicago is the man police say shot the deputy.
Sharod Grafton is suspected of shooting an officer at a Hospital in Michigan City. (Porter County Jail photo)
On Friday morning, Officer Samuelson stopped to help a motorist stopped on the side of the road at State Road 2 and 900 west in LaPorte County.
The person inside that car asked to be brought to Franciscan Hospital, and that’s where the shooting later took place.
Indiana State Police say the man inside that car, now identified as 22-year-old Sharod Grafton, Junior from Chicago.
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Samuelson dropped Grafton off at the hospital and right after he left learned Grafton was possibly involved in some sort of earlier crime. What that was and where it happened has not been released.
A police officer has been shot inside Franciscan Health in Michigan City. (WSBT photo)
“The officer returned inside the hospital, where there was an altercation in the emergency room between the suspect and himself. Which resulted in the suspect producing a firearm and shooting the officer,” said Glen Fifield, ISP.
The suspect shot the deputy three times.
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Grafton then ran out of the hospital and into a wooded area, directly next to the hospital.
Responding officers quickly found Grafton and a gun while searching the wooded area.
A police officer has been shot inside Franciscan Health in Michigan City. (WSBT photo)
This shooting comes weeks after two police officers were shot and one killed at a Chicago area hospital.
“It makes us feel angry. This is a senseless shooting that didn’t need to take place. Our officers and deputies and the Laporte County Sheriff’s office and all officers in Indiana and Illinois risk their lives every day. This officer thought he was helping a stranded motorist and it turns into this,” said Fifield.
Investigators did not say where on his body Officer Samuelson was shot, only that he did suffer three gunshot wounds.
Because this shooting involves a LaPorte County Sheriff’s Deputy the suspect is currently being housed in the Porter County Jail.
The Indiana State Police is leading the investigation.
