Indiana State Police Investigating Officer Involved Shooting On The Indiana Toll Road

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INDIANA STATE POLICE
BREMEN DISTRICT
1425 Miami Trail 
Bremen, IN 46506

www.in.gov/isp

FOR RELEASE: Upon Receipt

 

CONTACT:
Sgt. Ted Bohner
Public Information Officer
W 574-546-4900 C 574-248-1754

 

DATE:  September 4, 2019 

 

Indiana State Police Investigating Officer Involved Shooting On The Indiana Toll Road


Porter County-The Indiana State Police is investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place near the 27.9 mile marker of the Indiana Toll Road.

Today, September 4, 2019, around 2:00 p.m., the Valparaiso Police Department received a call of three male suspects that were allegedly attempting to break into cars.

Around 2:35 p.m. a Valparaiso Police Officer saw a vehicle that matched the description that had been given travelling on Calumet Avenue in Valparaiso. The officer attempted to make a traffic stop and the vehicle fled northbound on Calumet Avenue and then northbound on SR 49.

The vehicle entered the Indiana Toll Road at the Valparaiso Exit, mile marker 31, and continued to flee westbound, eventually crashing near the 27.8 mile marker. Once the vehicle crashed, three males fled on foot into a wooded area north of the Toll Road, near CR 200 West.

Troopers from the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post, Indiana State Police Lowell Post, Valparaiso Police Department, and Porter County Sheriff’s Department began to search for the suspects on foot.

Two suspects were located in the wooded area north of the Indiana Toll Road and taken into custody without incident. The third suspect got back onto the Toll Road and was seen running westbound by an ITRCC maintenance worker that was directing traffic from the original crash.

The ITRCC maintenance worker was outside of his truck setting up traffic cones when he saw the suspect attempt to get into an occupied vehicle that was stopped in traffic. The suspect then attempted to get into the driver’s seat of the unoccupied maintenance vehicle when the maintenance worker grabbed the suspect by the shirt and told him he couldn’t take the truck.

The suspect then put the maintenance truck into reverse and quickly backed up crashing into a semi.  As the suspect backed up, he drove towards the maintenance worker and officers that were closing in on foot. At this time shots were fired by a Porter County Sheriff’s Deputy and two Indiana State Troopers. The suspect put the truck into drive and fled a short distance westbound before crashing into another semi.

The suspect then got out of the maintenance vehicle, jumped into the median, and fled on foot onto CR 200 West, below the Indiana Toll Road, where he was then taken into custody. The suspect was taken to Northlake Methodist Hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. All three suspects are currently in police custody.

This is an ongoing investigation and no other information will be released at this time. Any inquiries into the identity of the Porter County Deputy should be made to the Porter County Sheriff’s Department. Inquiries into the initial call and pursuit should be referred to the Valparaiso Police Department.

At the conclusion of this investigation all information will be turned over to the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office.

*All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

BOHNER

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