Feds Raid Lake County Sheriff Office In Indiana
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Federal and state authorities raided the offices of the Lake County Sheriff in Indiana on Thursday.
Spokesmen for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorney for Northwest Indiana confirmed the raid, but would not provide any details. CBS 2's Sandra Torres reports.
Dean DeLisle, who said he was in the sheriff's office in Crown Point regarding a car accident report, said in a Facebook Live video that he saw FBI agents armed with search warrants taking pictures and gathering evidence.
DeLisle said workers were being taken out of their offices and appeared visibly upset. WBBM's Mike Krauser reports.
Lake County Sheriff John Buncich was in the office at the time of the raid, DeLisle said.
"The employees looked very scared as they should be," DeLisle told CBS2. "I saw the sheriff and he looked upset; he looked angry as part of this.
"When they had to step away from the computers and leave their offices, that's when the FBI took over everything. State Police were guarding doors. The FBI started tagging offices and taking pictures and carrying things out."
Sheriff department spokesman Mark Back said in a statement: "The Lake County Sheriff's Department is cooperating with our Federal law enforcement partners, fully assisting the FBI with their inquiry."
"Regular Sheriff's Department operations are continuing. We assure the citizens of Lake County that their safety remains our top priority."