Michael Howie

EAST CHICAGO — An officer involved in a shooting on Melville Avenue earlier this summer has been cleared of any wrongdoing, according to a press release.

Officer Jose Vega of the East Chicago Police Department responded to a ShotSpotter alert on July 22 and found a man with a graze wound in an alley between Melville Avenue and Kennedy Avenue. While aiding the victim, the officer spotted a suspect with a handgun in his waistband. The suspect fled, and during the chase, he allegedly pointed the gun at Officer Vega, prompting the officer to fire his weapon in self-defense, according to police.

The suspect, Curtis Lamar Hill, 44, was shot and taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition. He was eventually taken into custody and is currently at the Lake County Jail. He w

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