FRANKLIN — A Simpson County man arrested following the shooting last month of Detective Sgt. Eddie Lawson of the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office has been indicted by a grand jury.

Three indictments were returned Wednesday against Ben Jessie Wyatt III, 28, of Franklin.

Wyatt is charged in one indictment with attempted murder of a police officer and first-degree assault (police officer) in connection with a March 10 incident in which Lawson was shot and seriously injured while attempting to serve a warrant on Wyatt.

Court records show that Wyatt had missed a court date in a misdemeanor domestic violence case, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant.

According to the Kentucky State Police, Lawson went to Wyatt’s Cherry Street residence to serve the warrant and saw Wyatt standing in the driveway. Lawson told Wyatt he was under arrest, at which point Wyatt pulled out a gun and opened fire on Lawson, striking him in the pelvis and knee.

Lawson returned fire, striking Wyatt once in the upper left arm, according to KSP.

Wyatt then ran about three blocks and was arrested in a field without incident by the state police less than an hour after the incident.

Lawson was taken to TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville and hospitalized for two weeks. He is back in Franklin and recovering from injuries that include a shattered femur.

Simpson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Clint Willis said he informed Lawson by text message of the indictment on Wednesday.

“He’s on crutches, still, he’s not supposed to be putting weight on the leg,” Willis said. “He’s a whole lot better than he could have been.”

Willis said he saw Lawson a couple days ago.

The longest-tenured law enforcement officer with the sheriff’s office, Lawson is “realistic” about the recovery process ahead of him, Willis said.

“He might have some long-term complications, but he seems in good spirits,” Willis said.

Wyatt is charged in a second indictment with convicted felon in possession of a handgun and second-degree persistent felony offender.

Simpson County Circuit Court records show that Wyatt was convicted in 2006 of third-degree burglary and receiving stolen property and was placed on probation.

A third indictment charges Wyatt with convicted felon in possession of a firearm, fourth-degree assault (domestic violence), menacing, third-degree terroristic threatening and second-degree persistent felony offender.

Willis said that case was investigated by the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office, which executed a search warrant on March 24 that resulted in the discovery of a firearm in a storage facility.

Wyatt is scheduled to be arraigned on each case May 2 in Simpson Circuit Court. He is in Simpson County Detention Center under a $250,000 cash bond in the attempted murder case, a $25,000 cash bond in the domestic violence and firearm possession case and a $10,000 cash bond in the handgun possession case.

Court records do not list an attorney for Wyatt.

Simpson County Sheriff Jere Hopson said last month that he is working with other local law enforcement and first response agencies to develop an “officer down” policy for the department.

— Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter @jstorydailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.