Lake City Police have identified the officer shot during an Easter celebration on Sunday night. Three people were taken into custody for questioning.
Officials say Officer MH was shot in the arm while providing crowd control at a large Easter celebration with more than a thousand attendees around 8 p.m.
During the event, a fight broke out between several people. When officers tried to intervene, shots were fired, and H was hit.
Three people were taken into custody at the scene and are currently being interviewed by detectives to determine their involvement, if any.
The injured officer was transported to a nearby trauma center for treatment. He was awake and communicative with officers and paramedics during transport.
The department clarified that another officer didn’t shoot Hardison as some on social media have falsely claimed. H is a K-9 handler however, his partner K-9 Niko wasn’t involved.
LCPD said the investigation is still ongoing. The Lake City Police Department asks anyone who witnessed the incident or may have video footage to contact detectives at (386) 752-4343.
During the incident, A D reportedly confronted a Jacksonville news crew on scene. Officers say he demanded the crew’s video recordings and took a fighting stance while confronting them.
Officers told D to leave. He refused and continued to act aggressively. Officers say D struggled as they took him into custody. He sustained a scratch during the incident.
Chief of Police Gerald Butler stated, “While we respect the public’s right to film and the media’s role in covering events, we will not tolerate interference at active crime scenes, especially when it jeopardizes the safety of others or impedes our operations.”
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Source: wcjb
