A man has been taken into custody after police say he exchanged gunfire with officers, injuring one of them, during a call Saturday in Wilbraham, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts State Police said they were called in to assist with the situation, which happened at a home on Old Carriage Drive. The suspect barricaded in the home after the gunfire, investigators said.
State police crisis negotiators were called in to help bring the suspect into custody. A specialized team broke through a window and used a drone to locate the man in the home. The man, who was conscious when officers entered, was transported to a local hospital with gunshot injuries. He was in stable condition on Sunday.
Wilbraham police have since identified the man as 53-year-old Michael Ortega. He's being charged with assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. It's unclear when he's due in court, or if he's retained an attorney.
The 29-year-old Wilbraham police officer who was shot remained at the hospital Sunday afternoon, where he's in stable condition. His name has not been released.
Local
Wilbraham police say officers first responded to the Old Carriage home around 8:20 p.m. for a report of a man threatening others inside the home. Upon arrival, Wilbraham officers exchanged gunfire with Ortega.
According to state and local police, before Ortega was taken into custody, two occupants of the home were rescued after they had escaped through a second floor window onto a lower roof of the house’s adjoined garage. Officers used a ladder to help get them down to safety.
A roadblock had been set up and police asked people to avoid the area during the incident.
The incident remains under investigation by the Wilbraham Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office.
