WYOMING, Mich. -- A Wyoming Department of Public Safety officer returned to his home Thursday night after being treated for a gunshot wound at Mercy Health St. Mary’s Hospital. The officer, whose name is not being released at this time, was responding as backup to a domestic complaint in the area of Jefferson Avenue and Abbie Street at 3:15 p.m. Thursday.
The officer who was struck was wearing a bullet-resistant vest at the time of the shooting. The single bullet struck below his vest and above his duty belt. The officer was treated at the scene and transported by ambulance to Mercy Health, where he received surgery for non-life-threatening wounds.
The officer was able to return home with his family Thursday night.
Officers responding to the complaint arrived and approached the house, where they began to speak with a female resident of the home regarding the domestic situation. The female resident told the officers of multiple loaded weapons in the house, at which time backup officers began arriving at the scene.
At approximately 3:40 p.m., the suspect left the house carrying several loaded weapons, and he immediately began firing at officers, wounding one. Two officers on the scene returned fire. The suspect attempted to run off and continued to fire his weapons at random. One resident in a nearby home was hit by a bullet.
At approximately 3:55 p.m., three officers returned fire in the 200 block of Himes Street SW and hit the suspect once in the chest. Police approached the injured man using an armored response vehicle, and he was taken into custody. He then was taken to a hospital, where he was taken into surgery, and remains under police custody.
The name and condition of the injured suspect have not been released.
"Our officers and those officers who responded from our neighboring communities performed admirably while under incredibly challenging circumstances," said Wyoming Public Safety Director James Carmody. "All of our thoughts and prayers are with our officer and his family tonight, and we wish him a very speedy recovery."
"We appreciate the support we have received from so many of our fellow officers," he said. "Each day, officers put themselves in harm’s way without personal regard to ensure that we can all live in a safe community. We appreciate the outpouring of support and concern we have heard across West Michigan today."
Wyoming Public Safety was assisted by the Michigan State Police, Kent County Sherriff's Office, Grand Rapids Police Department, East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety and Kentwood Police Department.
Anyone with information about the shooting should call Wyoming Public Safety at (616) 530-7300.
