The search of a wooded area in rural La Porte County for a man wanted for shooting and wounding an Indiana State Trooper early this morning ended with the discovery of the man’s body.
The Trooper spotted a stolen Ford F-150 pick-up on I-94 near Michigan City, according to State Police.
It had been pursued earlier by deputies in Berrien County, Michigan.
The pick-up exited at US 421.
The trooper, driving an SUV, rammed the pick-up just south of I-94,
where the pursuit ended, according to Sergeant Glen Fifield.
“There was a collision between the suspect vehicle and our trooper,” Fifield told reporters at the scene. “The suspect proceeded to shoot at our trooper and our trooper sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Our trooper returned fire multiple times as the suspect fled in the suspect vehicle.”
The pick-up was later spotted by police in a helicopter, parked in a rural area about five miles south of the shooting scene.
The man fired at officers on the ground, Fifield said. About 100 officers were involved in a search.
“The suspect in this shooting was located deceased,” Fifield said. “He did have injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.”
What is not known is whether he was shot by the trooper who had the initial exchange of gunfire with the man or by officers involved in the search or whether he shot himself after he was wounded.
The wounded trooper was initially treated at the Franciscan Health hospital in Michigan City and was then taken by ambulance with a large police escort to Memorial Hospital in South Bend.
Fifield said he was in good spirits and was stable.
