A Lawrence Police Dept. officer shot a suspect at the end of a vehicle chase on Oct. 26. The suspect, who was driving with two other occupants, later died at Eskenazi Hospital.
According to LPD Chief Gary Woodruff, officers spotted a vehicle that was reported as stolen on Oct. 16. The vehicle was seen at 56th Street and Pendleton Pike at about 3 p.m. on Oct. 26.
At the 10700 block of Pendleton Pike, officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver, who police have not yet identified, initially complied by stopping but did not comply with officers’ directions to display his hands and exit the vehicle. The driver then drove away, westbound on Pendleton Pike.
As officers pursued the vehicle, the driver slowed down enough for the two other occupants to exit the vehicle. The two people were a 22-year-old male and a 22-year-old female who immediately surrendered to officers. Both were interviewed by detectives and released.
The driver continued fleeing from officers westbound on Pendleton Pike to N. Shadeland Avenue, where the driver turned south onto Shadeland Avenue. As the driver approached the 3100 block of N. Shadeland Avenue, the driver lost control of the vehicle, resulting in it going off the roadway and coming to astop adjacent to a small grass berm on the east side of the road.
When officers arrived at the scene of the crash, the driver refused to surrender, and instead produced a weapon. Upon observing the weapon, one Lawrence police officer discharged one shot from his handgun, striking the driver. Officers’ immediately summoned EMS to the scene as they conducted lifesaving measures. The driver of the stolen vehicle was transported to Eskenazi Hospital, where he was declared dead just before 4 pm.
“The chase lasted about 10 minutes and reached speeds of 90 mph,” Woodruff said.
The weapon was recovered by Marion County Forensic Services Agency crime scene technicians from inside of the vehicle.
The man was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The shooting is under investigation and details of what led to the shooting are not yet clear, Woodruff said.
As is standard practice, the officer who shot the man will be put on temporary modified assignment, meaning he will see administrative duties, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Indiana State Police and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department are assisting at the scene.
