Indiana State Police Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting in Wayne County

Wayne County - The Indiana State Police has been asked to investigate an officer involved shooting incident which took place this evening in Wayne County. The request for the Indiana State Police was made by both Centerville Police Chief Ed Buchholz and Wayne County Sheriff Randy Retter.

Indiana State Police detectives learned that shortly after 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening, the Wayne County Emergency Communication Center received calls of a female threatening suicide at 507 E. South St. in Centerville, Indiana.

An officer from the Centerville Police Department responded along with a Deputy from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department. Upon his arrival, the Centerville officer encountered a woman, who was sitting on the front porch of the residence and began yelling at the officer once he arrived. The officer attempted to check on the woman when he realized she was holding a weapon. The officer took cover behind his police car and began giving loud verbal commands for the woman to drop the weapon. At one point during the exchange, the woman returned inside the residence. When she came back outside, she once again pointed the weapon at the Centerville officer and a Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy who had arrived on scene. The deputy then fired one round from his department issued rifle, striking the woman.

Both officers immediately began providing medical attention to the woman until fire fighters and paramedics arrived on scene to take over life-saving efforts. The woman was transported to Reid Hospital in Richmond, before being flown by medical helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Investigators have not received an update on the woman’s medical condition.

Per department policy of both departments, each officer has been put on paid administrative leave. The names of the suspect and officer’s will be released in a subsequent news release.

At the conclusion of the investigation, all information will be turned over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review. There is no further information to release as of this evening.

All suspects are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in a court of law

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