By Joanna Putman
Police1
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A 20-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder in the shooting of a Fort Wayne police officer during a burglary, WANE reported.
Following the sentencing, Fort Wayne Police released body camera footage showing the man exiting a house by a window and opening fire at the officer, according to WANE..
The man, identified as Zar Ni Myint, admitted to opening fire on Officer Andrew Minardo with a fully automatic handgun during a chaotic confrontation earlier this year, according to the report.
The incident occurred on June 13, when Fort Wayne police responded to a burglary at a home. According to court documents, Myint was still inside the home when officers arrived.
Body camera footage shows officers searching the outside of the home. As Minardo went around to the back of the house through a narrow passageway, Myint crawled out of a window. Minardo spotted Myint and instructed him to stop. Myint then raised a handgun and fired.
Minardo returned fire before stumbling away and telling his team that he had been hit. Myint was struck by gunfire but fled the scene. He was found later in the day, according to the report.
Both the shooter and Minardo were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
“This incident starkly illustrates the daily dangers that our officers face as they strive to keep our community safe,” said Fort Wayne Police Chief Scott Caudill. “We are fortunate that Officer Minardo survived this attack and continues to recover, and fortunate this incident did not end more tragically.”
As part of a plea agreement, charges of aggravated battery and resisting law enforcement were dismissed, according to the report. Myint pleaded guilty to attempted murder, burglary resulting in serious injury and possession of a machine gun.
“Each time our officers don their uniforms, they recognize the possibility of responding to life-threatening situations,” Caudill said. “They act with unmatched courage and professionalism, and we must support them in every possible way.”