Muncie police officer shoots man armed with ax, police say

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — A suspect was hospitalized after he was shot by a police officer in Muncie Thursday afternoon, according to Indiana State Police.

ISP Public Information Officer Sgt. John Bowling said a Muncie police officer shot a 41-year-old man in the area of West Memorial Drive and Liberty Street Thursday around 3 p.m.

Police say an officer, who was in plain clothes, was driving in the area when he saw a suspect wanted for a felony investigation. Police say the suspect, Davy Scott Gibson, 41, of Muncie, was stopped by the off-duty officer. The officer told Gibson he was a police officer and then a brief physical struggle between the men began.

Gibson pulled free from the officer and ran through backyards nearby in an attempt to flee.

When uniformed officers arrived to the scene to assist the off-duty officer, one of the uniformed officers ran around a home and found Gibson holding an ax in the front yard.

Gibson refused to drop the ax and he was shot once by the uniformed officer, police say.

Gibson was taken to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

No other details about the investigation were immediately available.