Nicholasville Police have named the officer that was shot while searching for a suspicious person Friday.
Police say Officer John Rainey was on patrol near Maple Leaf Lane when he noticed a suspicious-looking man walk behind a house around 8 p.m.
Officer Rainey followed him, entered a brush area, and was shot in the back, said police.
Officials say Rainey was wearing a bulletproof vest, so he turned and fired back, which began a gun fight.
A man living in the house near where everything was happening said he heard it all.
"I heard a couple of bangs...thought maybe somebody was playing a prank on somebody with fireworks," said Jody Lang.
Long said he ran to the back of the house to see what was happening, but only heard more gunshots.
Police say another officer then arrived at the scene, but fell in a ditch and hurt his knee while chasing the suspect.
Long said his roommate came home, so he started yelling to the street: "You need to get inside--there's gunfire out here!"
More police showed up, but the suspect got away.
Long and his roommate pointed out holes in the shed behind their house, saying they're bullet holes...but Nicholasville Police did not confirm it.
Police said Rainey and the other injured officer were fine, though the suspect is still on the loose as of this writing.
Officers say the suspect was described as a male wearing dark clothes.
Police are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest--to call in a tip, dial Jessamine County Central Dispatch at 859-887-5447.
