Officer clings to life after shooting

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officer was critically injured after being shot four times Sunday morning as he attempted to stop a stolen vehicle.

Officer David Moore, 29, is in the Intensive Care Unit at Wishard Hospital.

Moore’s father, a retired police officer, told the media his son wasn’t responding to doctors’ attempts to stimulate him as he undergoes treatment for four gunshot wounds, two in his face, one in his thigh and one in his chest.

Doctors say the bulletproof vest Moore was wearing helped protect his chest from serious injury. Surgeons say the bullets missed Moore’s spinal cord.

“The next 24 to 48 hours will be crucial as to which direction he's going to go,” said Dr. Jerry Gomez, Chief of Trauma.
Moore was shot just after 9 a.m. after radioing to dispatchers that he was stopping a 1998 gold Toyota Camry that was reported to have been stolen back in December.

Officers responding to the scene found Moore suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and rushed him to Wishard Hospital where more than 100 fellow officers arrived to hold vigil for Moore.

Meanwhile, 60-year-old Thomas Hardy is in police custody after officers found the Camry in a downtown parking garage early Sunday afternoon. They tracked Hardy to a house on the northwest side where he was detained for questioning just before 5:30 p.m.

Police then arrested him for the robbery of a Dollar General store about 45 minutes after the shooting. Police say he's still being questioned in connection with the shooting of Officer David Moore. His bond is set at $9.9 million.

“We've ceased all of our search operations and feel that we have the person responsible in custody,” said IMPD Chief of Police Paul Ciesielski.

Hardy faces charges of robbery and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.

24-Hour News 8 has learned Hardy is no stranger to a jail cell . Indiana Department of Corrections records show Hardy has been in and out of prison since 1984. In fact, according to Marion County records, Hardy was just released from the county jail on Dec. 21, 2010, the same day, sources tell us, the gold Camry was reported stolen.