Gary cop, wife, injured during domestic dispute
By Lori Caldwell lcaldwell@post-trib.com | 648-3258 September 19, 2012 9:40AM
Updated: October 21, 2012 2:39PM
GARY — A veteran Gary police officer and his wife injured each other in a domestic dispute at their Miller home Tuesday night.
Cpl. Jeffery Tatum, 43, will be restricted to desk duty while the criminal matter is investigated, Chief Wade Ingram said Wednesday afternoon.
Tatum was stabbed in the back and side during an argument with his wife, Ashley Tatum, 31, about 9:15 p.m. at the home they share with their children in the 700 block of North Randolph Street.
Cpl. Tatum, a traffic officer assigned to the midnight shift, shot his wife in the leg, police said.
It’s unclear who was the initial aggressor in the fight.
At Ingram’s request, Lake County detectives are investigating the incident to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
Both the officer and his wife were taken to the hospital for treatment. The officer, who joined the force in 1994, was released from the hospital. His wife’s condition was unknown.
Ingram said he didn’t think either party had been arrested. He said the department’s Internal Affairs Division will not be reviewing the incident until the criminal investigation is complete.
Lake County police spokeswoman Patti Van Til said her department would not release additional information on the stabbing/shooting.
