A 22-year-old Chicago man allegedly shot a sheriff’s deputy inside a northwest Indiana hospital emergency room on Friday morning, critically wounding the officer, authorities said.
Law enforcement said Sharod Grafton Jr., 22, shot LaPorte County Sheriff’s Deputy Jon Samuleson after the deputy brought him to Franciscan Health Michigan City. Police said Samuelson initially encountered Grafton at around 6:45 a.m. near Westville, believing he was a stranded motorist whose vehicle had broken down.
Once at the hospital, police said Samuelson learned that Grafton “may have been involved in an earlier criminal incident.” An altercation subsequently took place inside the emergency room, during which Grafton allegedly produced a gun and shot Samuelson. Samuelson was airlifted to a South Bend trauma center and listed in critical condition.
Grafton ran into a nearby wooded area following the shooting but was apprehended by responding officers. He was transported to the LaPorte County Jail but was later transferred to the Porter County Jail, where he remained Friday afternoon. During a search after the incident, officers recovered a gun believed to have been used in the shooting, police said.
As of Friday afternoon, charges against Grafton had yet to be filed by the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office.
Following the incident, police stressed that there was no ongoing threat to the public or hospital and said all “involved parties” were in custody.
