15-year-old boy shot by Gary police officer after chase

A 15-year-old boy was shot by a police officer in northwest Indiana on Tuesday night, following a police pursuit after the attempted armed robbery of a cellphone store.

About 5:45 p.m., five people attempted to rob a Verizon store at Ridge Road and Calumet Avenue in Munster, Indiana, according to the Lake County sheriff”s office.

The suspects drove away in a gray 2015 Nissan with Ohio plates and were pursued by Griffith police officers, according to the sheriff’s office. The officers were joined in the pursuit by several other police departments, including Highland, Munster and Gary. A sheriff’s office helicopter and Indiana State Police were also involved.

The Nissan ran off the road near 19th Avenue and Hanley Street in Gary, according to the sheriff’s office. The five suspects ran away.

One of the them, a 15-year-old boy, pointed a firearm at police and was shot at least once by a Gary police officer, according to the sheriff’s office. He was taken to Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary, but later transferred to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he remains in serious condition.

A weapon was recovered, according to the sheriff’s office.

Three other suspects were taken into custody, and one remained at-large as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office is investigating the officer-involved shooting, and Munster police are investigating the attempted armed robbery.