LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One person is in custody after police said he began firing shots at a Louisville Metro Police officer who tried to pull him over Thursday afternoon.
During a Thursday afternoon news briefing, LMPD Lt. Col. Steve Healey said it started as a routine traffic stop around 2 p.m. in the 1800 block of Bluegrass Avenue, near UofL Health Mary & Elizabeth Hospital in the Hazelwood neighborhood. That's when the driver of the car, later identified as 21-year-old Chandler Hines, began firing shots at the officer, leading to a pursuit.
The vehicle pursuit ended in the 1200 block of Oleanda, near Churchill Downs, where Hines tossed a handgun, got out of the car and took off on foot. Officers caught up with him, Healey said, in the 1200 block of Algonquin Parkway — near South 7th Street — where he was taken into custody.
"At no point did any LMPD officers fire any of their weapons at the suspect," Healey said.
Police said they recovered drugs from Hines, who was wanted on multiple felony warrants. One of those warrants was for escape after he allegedly cut off an ankle monitor while on house arrest.
Noting that the gunfire began near a hospital and a school during a busy part of the afternoon, Healey said Hines "showed no regard for the safety of not only our officers, but the public."
"If you look at where the 1800 block of Oleanda Avenue is, there's a hospital there," he said. "It's right down the street from a school. If you look at the time, it's a nice day and plenty of people are out. And this individual is just firing a handgun.
"We are very fortunate today that no one was hit and we were able to take this violent individual of the streets."
Although Healey said it can be frustrating to when criminals continue to re-offend, "we still have to do our job. We have to do our job continuously. We're going to do what we need to do to get these violent people off the streets."
Hines is charged with attempted murder (police), first degree fleeing in a motor vehicle, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and tampering.
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