Police said the wounded officer has left the hospital as the suspect remains under guard while recovering.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Indianapolis police have identified 24-year-old Victor Garcia-Lopez as the man accused of shooting an IMPD officer Friday night during a call on the city’s north side near Broad Ripple.
Garcia-Lopez was arrested Saturday, May 9, and preliminarily charged with attempted murder, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. The wounded officer, whose name has not been released, was taken to a hospital after the shooting and later discharged. Police said Monday the officer remained in good spirits and had begun recovering from injuries suffered while responding to the call.
Officers were sent shortly before 10:15 p.m. Friday, May 8, to a house in the 6400 block of North Washington Boulevard. Police first described the run as a possible death investigation and said a firearm might be involved. Assistant Chief Michael Wolley later said officers did not find a person dead inside the home. Instead, they found a man believed to be intoxicated and acting erratically. Wolley said the man walked away from officers and told them to shoot him before drawing a gun and firing toward police.
One officer was struck by gunfire during the encounter. At least one officer returned fire, hitting Garcia-Lopez at least once, police said. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition and was later described by police as critical but stable. IMPD Chief Tanya Terry said the people who called for help were in danger and that officers stepped in before the situation could spread further. “The suspect made a choice to pick up a gun and shoot at officers,” Terry said after the shooting.
The shooting happened in a residential area near East 64th Street, west of the Broad Ripple Cultural District and close to North Meridian Street. The call drew a large police response late Friday and into early Saturday as investigators worked around the home and nearby streets. Police have not released the injured officer’s age, years of service or the exact nature of the officer’s wounds. Officials also have not said what led to the original report that brought officers to the house.
IMPD said homicide detectives are handling the criminal investigation into the shooting. The department’s Critical Incident Response Team is leading that review, while IMPD Internal Affairs is conducting a separate administrative investigation. Those reviews are standard after shootings involving officers. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make any final charging decisions after reviewing the case file. As of Monday, the charge against Garcia-Lopez was preliminary, and police said the investigation remained active.
The officer’s release from the hospital came one day after IMPD posted a public update saying fellow officers and medical staff had surrounded the officer during treatment. The department said the officer’s recovery was only beginning but praised the officer’s courage and service. Terry also used the shooting to speak against gun violence directed at police. “Put your guns down. Don’t shoot at the cops,” she said, adding that the wounded officer was expected to return home but not without injury.
Garcia-Lopez remained hospitalized as police continued gathering evidence and witness accounts. The next major step is expected to be a prosecutor review of the preliminary attempted murder allegation and the investigative reports from IMPD’s criminal and internal reviews.
Author note: Last updated May 12, 2026.