IPD Officer, Gunman Slain In Gun Battle

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INDIANAPOLIS -- A man suspected of killing his mother shot and killed an Indianapolis police officer and wounded four others before being fatally shot Wednesday morning, authorities said.

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Kenneth Anderson, 33, armed with an assault rife, fatally shot Officer Timothy "Jake" Laird, 31, around 2 a.m. on Indianapolis' southeast side, police said.

Officer Peter Koe -- one of four other officers injured by gunfire -- fatally shot Anderson with an assault rifle, which Koe had because he is a SWAT team member, police said. Most IPD officers don't have such rifles.

Laird, the first Indianapolis Police Department officer to be fatally shot in 16 years, was one of several officers who responded to 911 calls about shots being fired at the home of Anderson's mother, located at 2704 Dietz St.

A man who said he was Anderson's brother told officers that Anderson had killed their mother, Grace Anderson, 66, according to police.

When police arrived, Kenneth Anderson "left the house and was running westbound while he continued to shoot at the officers as they were coming to the scene," Indianapolis police Lt. Paul Ciesielski said.

Anderson shot Laird from about 150 yards to 200 yards away, police said. Koe then fatally shot Anderson on the 1700 block of East Gimber Street, about 60 feet from Anderson's home, authorities said.

The wounded officers besides Laird were expected to recover, police said.

Grace Anderson was found dead in her home. Police said she suffered two gunshot wounds. An autopsy was scheduled.

Police said Laird was a member of the tactical unit in IPD's south district and had been on the job since March 6, 2000. He is survived by a wife and a 7-year-old daughter, police said.

Mayor Bart Peterson expressed his condolences to the family of Laird, who was the 56th officer killed in IPD's 150-year history.

"We lost a hero last night," he said.

Koe, 41, was shot in the knee.

Timothy Conley, 43, the first officer to arrive at the scene, was shot in the abdomen while sitting in his car. He underwent surgery at Methodist Hospital and was listed in good condition Wednesday afternoon.

Officer Leon Essig, 35, was treated for a gunshot that broke one of his arm in two places.

Officer Andrew Troxell, 25, was shot in one of his hands.

Police said that darkness put them at a disadvantage. One of the other officers who were on the scene, Mark Fagan, said gunfire hit his car, but he didn't immediately realize it.

"We couldn't locate (Anderson) exactly where he was," Fagan said. "I didn't even realize a round had gone through my car until later."

Police records show that officers in January had confiscated weapons at an Indianapolis home where Anderson reportedly had been living with his brother.

At that time, Anderson was identified by authorities as a "combative patient" and was taken to St. Francis Hospital for a mental evaluation.

Stay with RTV6 and TheIndyChannel.com for updates to this story as they become available.

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