Cops shoot at suspect on Indiana Toll Road after chase, 3 in custody

PORTAGE, Ind. (WLS) -- Officers opened fire on a suspect attempting to escape a police pursuit on the Indiana Toll Road near Portage following a chase that ended with three suspects in custody, Indiana State Police said.

Westbound lanes of the toll road were closed for several hours due to the chase and multiple crashes. The lanes reopened a little before 8 p.m.

The cross-county crime spree began at about 4:30 p.m. State police said a Valparaiso police officer responded to a call about three males trying to break into cars. The officer saw a vehicle matching the description of one of those cars on Calumet Avenue. When the officer tried to pull the car over, it fled northbound and the officer gave chase.

The chase led onto the Indiana Toll Road at the Valparaiso exit, and continued westbound. The car eventually crashed into another vehicle at mile marker 27.8 and the suspects fled on foot, state police said.

Troopers and deputies from the Indiana State Police, Valparaiso Police Department and Porter County Sherriff's department flooded the area, leaving people like Pamela Wilson locked in their homes, terrified and confused.

"An officer come by and tell me to go into my house and there was a carjacking," Wilson recounted. "Stay locked in 'til they were apprehended."

Two of the suspects were found and arrested without incident, state police said. Wilson witnessed them take one into custody.

"I just seen three officers with a gentleman handcuffed and rifles come through my backyard," she said.

The third suspect fled and tried to get into one of the occupied vehicles that was stopped in traffic, before then trying to get into an unoccupied maintenance vehicle, according to Indiana State Police.

Police said the maintenance worker tried to stop him, but the suspect reversed the vehicle and crashed into a semi, then put the vehicle in drive and fled a short distance before crashing into another semi.

A Porter County Sheriff's deputy and two Indiana State Trooper opened fire on the suspect as he attempted to flee in the vehicle. After the second crash the suspect again fled on foot and was taken into custody on CR 200 West, below the Indiana Toll Road.

He was taken to Northlake Methodist Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, state police said.

An investigation by multiple police agencies is ongoing. The Portage deputy has been placed on administrative leave, as is standard, during the course of the investigation into the shooting.

The suspects have not yet been charged.