By Emily Arthur-Richardt
The Aberdeen American News
ABERDEEN, S.D. — An Aberdeen police officer was shot in the leg Wednesday as authorities executed a search warrant at an Aberdeen home.
Grant Schnabel was transported by ambulance to Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen. A nursing supervisor confirmed Schnabel, a 13-year veteran of the police department, was a patient and said he was in serious condition Wednesday night.
Wednesday afternoon, Aberdeen Police Chief Don Lanpher Jr. would not release the name of the injured officer but said he was in stable condition and was expected to go into surgery.
Lanpher said authorities from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation are investigating the shooting and trying to determine who fired the shot. At this point, officials haven’t released whether the shooting was accidental; however, as of early Wednesday evening, nobody had been arrested, Lanpher said. An officer who was visibly upset was seen turning over his equipment, including his gun, to other officers at the home.
The Brown County Drug Task Force and the Special Response Team were serving a warrant at 211 Ninth Ave. S.E. about 2:10 p.m. Wednesday, when the shot was fired, a release from the Aberdeen Police Department said. Lanpher said authorities were looking for drugs in the home.
A man watching from the sidewalk said he heard shouting from inside the house before the shooting.
Two people, a man and a woman, were led from the house in handcuffs and taken into custody, Lanpher said. He was not aware that any charges had been filed.
It is routine for the task force and Special Response Team to execute search warrants. Lanpher said the search would be finished after DCI completes its shooting investigation in the home.
Dennis Spencer, who lives just down the street from where the shooting occurred, said he and his dog, Lucy, were outside when the task force and SRT showed up.
“Lucy started barking, so we went inside,” Spencer said. “I saw that there were a lot of (officers) and they were carrying guns, though.”
Officers blocked off the alley behind the house but did not block off the street.
Spencer, who has lived in his home for 25 years, said the occupants of the home where the warrant was served had lived in the two-story home for only a few months.
Spencer and other neighbors in the area reported that police had been spotted in front of the home at least one other time in the past week.
Copyright 2008 The Aberdeen American News