Portage Police block Willowcreek Road near the location where a suspect was apprehended for armed robbery in Portage on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Two men are in custody after Portage police said they were involved in an armed robbery at the Port Crossing apartments Tuesday afternoon when they reportedly fled with a loaded firearm one of them was going to purchase, setting off a police pursuit resulting in an officer injury.

At approximately 1:01 p.m. police were dispatched to the area of the Port Crossing on Canden Avenue in reference to an armed robbery which had just occurred.

The victim said he met with two individuals about selling two firearms to the men, according to a news release. During the attempted sale, police said one of the suspects was inspecting one of the firearms for sale, which was loaded, and allegedly pointed the weapon at the victim and told him he was now taking the firearms.

Portage Police block Willowcreek Road near the location where a suspect was apprehended for armed robbery in Portage on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

The suspects then fled the complex in a black Ford Fusion, police said.

A Portage officer in an unmarked police vehicle observed a black Fusion with occupants matching the suspects’ descriptions traveling northbound on Willowcreek Road near Robbins Road. As soon as the officer made a U-turn to follow the suspect vehicle it began fleeing and refused to stop.

As the vehicle approached the Indiana Toll Road overpass, a Portage officer performed a vehicle maneuver causing the Fusion to come to a stop. The vehicle pursuit lasted just under two minutes covering approximately 1.5 miles. The driver, 24, of Portage, was taken into custody while police said the passenger, a 20-year-old from Chicago, fled over the guardrail and down the embankment.

Officers pursued the passenger down the embankment but lost sight of him because of thick vegetation.

During the foot chase, an officer suffered an incapacitating lower leg injury that required transport to the hospital.

Portage Police gather in the parking lot of Port Crossing apartments in Portage after apprehending an armed robbery suspect in Portage on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Portage officers set up a perimeter with the assistance of the Indiana State Police, Ogden Dunes Police, Porter County Sheriff’s Department, Burns Harbor Police and Valparaiso Police. The Lake County Aviation Unit also assisted with the search.

Because the passenger could have been armed, safety precautions were taken at nearby schools. After approximately 50 minutes of searching utilizing K-9 teams, a helicopter, and a drone, the passenger was located bedded down in a wooded area and taken into custody without further incident.

The two men are expected to be charged with felony counts of robbery and resisting law enforcement. Formal charges had not been filed Wednesday morning

Police transported both men to Porter County Jail.