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Police Chief James White told reporters that the off-duty
officer had been struggling with a mental health crisis and that
the officers who were wounded had arrived in response to a 911
call Monday afternoon.
The 13-year veteran of the department recently had returned to
full duty after being off work for a time, said White, who added
that the officer was working through a degenerative condition.
The officer's name has not been released.
White said the 45-year-old off-duty officer was wearing his
uniform and shooting into the air with a rifle when the other
officers arrived. The responding officers identified him as a
member of the department's special response team and said he was
“threatening suicide,” according to White.
White said the off-duty officer then approached the vehicle the
arriving officers were taking cover behind, striking one of the
officers in the leg and the other “in the thigh area.” One of
the wounded officers returned fire, killing the shooter, White
said.
“Once they recognized it was one of our own members, they still
had to do their job and make sure that everyone else was safe,"
White said.
The wounded officers were in stable condition Monday night at a
hospital.
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