A Louisville Metro Police officer is recovering, after being shot responding to a home invasion.
It happened just after 1 a.m. Friday near the intersection of Taylor Boulevard and Central Avenue near Churchill Downs.
The officer responded within minutes to a home invasion on Montana Avenue. When he arrived, he confronted three suspects. The officer was chasing a suspect, who fired two shots. Both shots hit the officer—one in the chest and one in the hand. LMPD Assistant Chief Vince Robison says a bulletproof vest saved his life.
The officer is recovering at University Hospital, where fellow officers have stopped in the hours since the shooting to offer support. Robison says the officer has one year on patrol. His name will be released later in the day.
The three suspects in police custody including a 17 year old juvenile and two adults ages 18 and 19. Charges are pending. Police have not said which suspect may have fired the shots.
Two suspects were taken to the hospital from the scene. One was bitten by a K-9 officer. The other was complaining of an undisclosed medical problem.
Robison says he spoke to the officer who had been shot. He says he was alert and "thankful he was not injured more seriously."
LMPD does not require officers to wear vests. But Robison says most officers are trained to wear them through recruit school, "so they become accustomed to them then they normally wear it when they are on the street."