Overview
- A routine traffic stop just after midnight on Tuesday escalated when the driver produced a handgun as backup officers approached and an exchange of gunfire followed.
- The driver, later identified by the Lake County coroner as Aaron Barnes, 34, of Gary, was struck and pronounced dead at the scene.
- An Indiana State Police K-9 trooper was shot in the chest, taken for surgery at the University of Chicago Medical Center and is in stable condition; the trooper’s dog was not injured.
- A 34-year-old female passenger was taken into custody on a probable cause hold and two Lake County deputies who responded were evaluated and placed on paid administrative leave.
- Investigators from Indiana State Police secured a large crime scene with many evidence markers, closed lanes on I-80/94 for hours and said a nearby semi was struck by gunfire as authorities continue their probe.