A routine welfare check turned into a shooting and hours-long standoff in Owen County, Indiana, on Friday afternoon, leaving a sheriff’s deputy hospitalized and a suspect in custody.

Incident Details

Indiana State Police said it was around 3:30 p.m. when deputies from the Owen County Sheriff’s Department were initially requested by the Owen County Probation Department to conduct a welfare check on Wendell Hart, 58, after he missed a scheduled appointment earlier in the day.

When a deputy arrived at Hart’s residence, officials say shots were fired towards the deputy. The deputy called for assistance and additional officers came out to the scene. Authorities say Hart once again fired at those responding officers and struck an Owen County deputy in the process.

Officers then fired back at Hart before he barricaded himself inside the home. The injured deputy was flown by air ambulance to a hospital in Indianapolis. Officials say the deputy is currently in stable condition.

Arrest and Investigation

The Indiana State Police SWAT team and hostage negotiators were called to the scene to try and get Hart to come out. After about two hours of negotiations, he surrendered. Police took him into custody before eventually taking him to a hospital in Bloomington so that he could get treatment for injuries he sustained during the incident.

Officials say the investigation remains ongoing, and the findings will be turned over to the Owen County Prosecutor’s Office for review of any potential charges.

Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.