An off-duty black cop tried to help stop an ongoing crime. Another officer shot him.

On Wednesday night in St. Louis, three black men were spotted driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Police pursued the vehicle, and the suspects shot at them as they attempted to stop the car.

Eventually, the car stopped in north St. Louis, and more shots were fired, according to KSDK.

Meanwhile, an unidentified black police officer was at home in the neighborhood where the car ended up stopping. The officer, a 38-year-old man who has been on the force for 11 years, came out of his house with his department-issued weapon to help after he heard gunshots.

And that’s where things get more complicated.

Initial reports from the Belleville News-Democrat and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch indicated that the officer came out of his house and was shot in the crossfire. The Post-Dispatch reported that he had been hit in the arm and ankle, while the News-Democrat reported that he had been hit in the arm, while one of the suspects was hit in the ankle.

The officer was transported to a local hospital in stable condition, police told the News-Democrat.

However, details emerged Thursday that changed the initial narrative. According to CBS News, when the off-duty officer emerged from his home, the suspects had already fled on foot.

The officers who had been engaging in the gunfire with the suspects saw the off-duty cop with a gun and ordered him to get on the ground. The officer did so, and when his colleagues recognized him, he was instructed to get up and move towards them.

When he did so, another officer arriving at the scene who did not recognize the off-duty cop saw him and “fearing for his safety,” shot him in the arm, according to the Post-Dispatch, which first reported the details. The off-duty officer never fired his weapon.

The officer who apparently shot the off-duty cop is 36 years old and has been on the force for more than eight years, police say. Seven police officers have since been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.

Meanwhile, two of the suspects have been arrested and charged with nine crimes each. Deandre Chaney and Cortney Smith, both 17, are being held on $500,000 bond, per KSDK. Police are still seeking a third suspect.

This story was originally published June 23, 2017 at 6:17 PM with the headline "An off-duty black cop tried to help stop an ongoing crime. Another officer shot him.."