The Gary Police Department has put two officers on administrative leave after they shot and killed a 23-year-old man during a domestic dispute Saturday evening.
Around 4:55 p.m. January 11, officers responded to a domestic call between a woman and her son at a residence in the 2300 block of Waverly Drive, Gary Police spokesman Cmdr. Jack Hamady said in a social media post Wednesday afternoon. Police had responded to multiple calls at the home in 2024, he said.
The mother met the officers at the front door and told them her son was inside with guns, Hamady said. They went in and found him upset and making threatening statements toward her with a handgun in each hand, he said.
The officers tried to reason with him and asked him to put down the guns, but he proceeded to threaten his mom and them. One of the officers then shot him before they disarmed him and secured the guns, Hamady said.
The Gary Fire Department transported the man — identified Tuesday by the Lake County Coroner’s office as Devin Shields, of the 2300 Waverly Drive — to Methodist Hospital’s Northlake campus, where he died, Hamady said.
Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon said in the post that the Lake County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the shooting.
“My condolences go out to the family and loved ones grieving the loss of this young man’s life. Any loss of life in our community is a profound tragedy,” Cannon said. “Currently, as the Lake County Sheriff is conducting an independent investigation, we are limited in our ability to disclose information regarding this case. I ask that the public be mindful and patient until all the facts are known.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
