A western Indiana police officer was shot dead Wednesday outside a federal office building behind the Vigo County Courthouse, authorities said.
The officer has been named as Detective Greg Ferency, a 30-year veteran with the Terre Haute Police Department, Sgt. Ryan Adamson tweeted.
‘Detective Ferency was assigned to the FBI Taskforce on behalf of the Terre Haute Police Department. The FBI is leading this investigation,’ the department posted on Facebook.
‘Please keep the Ferency family in your prayers. Thank you for all of the kind emails, posts, and calls. It is truly appreciated.’
The shooting happened around 2 p.m. outside an FBI office, according to WTHI-TV.
‘We have unfortunately had an officer shot in the line of duty. Our officer has passed away. We will release more information as the case allows,’ Adamson said earlier in the day.
A western Indiana police officer was fatally shot Wednesday outside a federal office building
Sgt. Ryan Adamson of the Terre Haute Police Department confirmed on Twitter that the officer had died
State Police Sgt. Todd Ringle confirmed on Twitter that the suspect was in custody.
‘A Terre Haute Police Officer was shot and killed this afternoon. My thoughts and prayers are with the Terre Haute Police Department and the officer’s family. The suspect is in custody,’ Ringle tweeted.
Law enforcement officials said the suspect was in surgery late Wednesday afternoon at Regional Hospital in Terre Haute. The condition of the suspect was not immediately clear.
The suspect was described as ‘a white male in a pickup truck with a damaged back end,’ WTHI-TV reported.
Cops told WISH-TV that they believe the suspect drove himself to the hospital and police set up a perimeter around his truck to search it.
According to the Tribune-Star, a gold-colored Ford F-150 pickup truck was found outside the hospital with bullet holes in the window.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Matt Ames tweeted that there would be a procession for the fallen officer leaving Union Hospital that would pass the Terre Haute Police Department Headquarters.
According to his LinkedIn, Ferencey was an accomplished narcotics detective who had written a book titled Narc Ops.
The book’s summary on Amazon reads: ‘The author explains what is going on in our War on Drugs.’
‘The book explains how the police fight the battle in the covert world of illicit drug use and distribution. The reader will experience undercover buys, search warrant executions, along with everything else the police officer experiences when working this particular type of assignment.’
Ferencey had received specialized training and experience in methamphetamine related investigations, according to Police-Writers.com.
‘Greg has been at the scene of over 550 methamphetamine lab scenes as both lead investigator and site safety officer since 1999,’ the website reads.
‘He is a court certified expert in methamphetamine and its associated clandestine labs. Greg has trained law enforcement, civilian groups, educational system employees, medical staff and correctional personnel in methamphetamine and other drug related topics.’
The National Fraternal Order of Police, a large union for police officers, tweeted: ‘Please pray for the family of the Terre Haute Police Officer who was shot and killed this afternoon in Indiana.’
‘The violence against our officers MUST STOP. We are Fathers and Mothers, Sons and Daughters, Members of your Community,’ the union tweeted.
Sen. Mike Braun, who represents Indiana, tweeted: ‘Praying for the family of this officer killed in the line of duty today in Terre Haute, the men and women of the Terre Haute Police Department, and all Hoosier law enforcement who every day put their lives on the line to protect the communities they serve.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Terre Haute Police Department for more information and additional comment.
The Terre Haute shooting came as three undercover law enforcement officers were shot in Chicago while working on a case around 5:50 a.m., Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said Wednesday during a news conference.
During that shooting, a Chicago police officer and two agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were wounded but are expected to recover from their injuries.