Authorities said the suspect was arrested after fleeing into woods near Franciscan Health Michigan City.
MICHIGAN CITY, IN — A LaPorte County sheriff’s deputy remained in critical but stable condition after authorities said a Chicago man shot him Friday morning inside a Michigan City hospital emergency room.
Deputy Jonathon Samuelson, 33, was wounded after he stopped to help a man with a disabled vehicle and later took him to Franciscan Health Michigan City, police said. The shooting drew a large police response to the hospital, left no other patients or workers injured, and led to attempted murder and other charges against 22-year-old Sharod L. Grafton Jr.
Indiana State Police said Samuelson was driving to a work-related training session about 6:45 a.m. Friday when he saw a disabled vehicle near State Road 2 and County Road 900 West, near Westville. The driver, later identified as Grafton, asked for a ride to the hospital, and Samuelson took him there. After the deputy learned Grafton may have been connected to earlier criminal activity, he returned to speak with him inside the emergency department. “This officer thought he was helping a stranded motorist and it turns into this,” Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said.
Police said a physical struggle followed inside the hospital, at 3500 Franciscan Way, and Grafton shot Samuelson three times. Samuelson was first treated at Franciscan Health Michigan City and then airlifted to Memorial Hospital in South Bend for advanced care. The suspect ran from the hospital after the shooting, police said. Officers searched the area and found him in woods near the hospital. Investigators also recovered a handgun they believe was used in the shooting. Authorities have not said how the gun entered the hospital or whether it was found on Grafton before he was arrested.
Grafton, of Chicago, was booked at the Porter County Jail after his arrest. Indiana State Police said he faces charges of attempted murder, battery against a public safety official and auto theft. State police are leading the investigation, and the LaPorte County prosecutor is expected to make final charging decisions through the court process. Police have not released detailed information about the earlier criminal activity that drew Samuelson back to the hospital room. They also have not said whether Grafton had an attorney as of the latest public updates.
LaPorte County Sheriff Ronald C. Heeg said Samuelson is a 12-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and works as a K-9 handler. Heeg said Samuelson’s father, a retired Michigan City police officer, was working security at the hospital when the shooting happened. The sheriff’s office said Samuelson underwent about eight hours of surgery in South Bend and that doctors described the surgery as successful. The office said medical staff remained optimistic about his recovery, though Samuelson stayed in an intensive care unit in critical but stable condition.
The shooting brought police from multiple agencies to the hospital campus and briefly disrupted emergency services at one of Michigan City’s main medical centers. Franciscan Health said the hospital continued working with law enforcement after the shooting. Authorities described the attack as isolated and said no hospital employees, patients or visitors were hurt. The emergency room became both a crime scene and a treatment site as officers secured the building, searched nearby wooded areas and moved Samuelson to a higher level of care in South Bend.
Officials said the case began as a roadside assist, not a planned arrest. Fifield said Samuelson had learned new information after leaving Grafton at the hospital and went back to talk with him. “The deputy was informed of his criminal activity, and that the suspect was a suspect of that or involved in some way and went back to discuss it with him,” Fifield said. The confrontation then turned violent, he said. Sheriff Heeg asked the community to keep Samuelson, his family and those affected by the shooting in their thoughts and prayers.
As of Sunday, Samuelson remained hospitalized in South Bend, and Grafton remained in custody. Indiana State Police said the investigation is continuing, with court proceedings expected to determine the next steps in the criminal case.
Author note: Last updated May 24, 2026.