May 30 – NEW ALBANY – A suspect is in custody after a New Albany police officer was fatally shot on Tuesday.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Jeff Gahan identified the New Albany Police Corporal. Andrew Byrne as the officer who was shot. Gahan said in a post on the city’s Facebook page that Byrne was “in good spirits”.
New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey said the officer was taken to University of Louisville Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
The suspect, who was later identified by Chief Bailey as 29-year-old Barry Sowders of New Albany, was also taken to hospital after being arrested. Sowders was charged with three counts of attempted murder and resisting law enforcement. He is awaiting extradition to Indiana.
Indiana State Police are investigating the shooting that occurred in the 15th and Market streets area of New Albany and their findings will be forwarded to the Floyd County District Attorney’s Office.
“The incident began this morning when there was a reported shooting of a woman,” said ISP public information officer Carey Huls. “This subject reported being shot. At that time, officers took this information and attempted to locate the subject in the shooting.”
Huls said there was a brief foot chase after police located the suspect.
“At this time, the suspect fired at an officer, hitting that officer,” Huls said. “The officer returned fire and struck the suspect. The suspect escaped to a nearby residence…he was taken into custody and rushed to hospital.”
Huls said police from the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, Clarksville, Jeffersonville, ISP and Louisville Metro all responded to the shooting.
New Albany resident Gordon Tretter said the officer was shot near his backyard.
“I saw the incident after the officer fell,” Tretter said, adding that he was a retired US Navy doctor and had helped police bring the officer to a vehicle to transport him to the hospital.