LAKE CITY, Fla. – A Lake City Police Department officer was shot Sunday when law enforcement tried to break up a fight during an Easter celebration, according to the LCPD.
The incident happened around 8:06 p.m. at the Annie Mattox Recreation Center on Northeast Center Avenue in Lake City.
Officers from the LCPD, alongside deputies from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, were providing crowd control at the annual community Easter celebration, which is attended by a couple thousand people.
A fight broke out during the event, and when officers and deputies tried to break it up, shots were fired, and Lake City Police Department K-9 handler Officer Marcus Hardison was injured, police said.
Hardison’s K-9 partner, Niko, was not involved in the shooting. Hardison was shot in the right arm and taken to a nearby trauma center for treatment. LCPD said he was awake and was communicating with officers and paramedics during transport.
The FDLE was called in to investigate, and three people were taken into custody and were being interviewed by detectives.
LCPD Chief Gerald Butler said, “No officers or deputies discharged their service weapons during this incident.”
LCPD said it was grateful for the swift and coordinated response of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Lake City Fire Department, and Columbia County Emergency Medical Services.
The Lake City Police Department is asking anyone who witnessed the incident or who may have video footage to contact detectives at 386- 752-4343.
