1 dead in officer-involved shooting after trooper led on chase from Michigan to Indiana
NILES, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - One person was killed in an officer-involved shooting after a traffic stop led to a chase that went from Michigan to Indiana, state police said.
At about 8:24 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, a trooper initiated a traffic stop in the parking lot of Green Stem Provisioning at S. 11th Street near Marion Street for a defective brake lamp. A man was driving the vehicle, a red Kia, and a woman was sitting in the front passenger seat.
During the stop, the trooper found out the driver had a warrant for assault. While the trooper was trying to arrest the driver, he resisted, a physical altercation occurred, and the man was able to get back into his vehicle, sitting in the driver's seat.
The trooper followed the man to his car and deployed a Taser toward him.
The man then pulled out a gun, and the trooper responded by pointing his gun at the driver while telling him to drop his weapon.
According to MSP, the driver then drove away from the scene, traveling southbound on S. 11th Street and the trooper followed.
After several miles, the suspect drove into St. Joseph County, Indiana.
"Per MSP pursuit policy, troopers are permitted to pursue across state lines when the pursuit involves a suspect wanted for a violent felony," said Michigan State Police. "The pursuit ultimately entered South Bend, where near the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Marion Street, the Kia struck a South Bend Police Department vehicle that was deploying stop sticks to de-escalate the pursuit."
The suspect ran then away from the scene, and as he was running towards the river, shots were fired.
During this chase, a second trooper pursued the man while he was running, and the car went over the embankment and hit a tree.
Authorities say the suspect was found fatally shot at the bottom of the embankment near the river.
Indiana State Police are investigating the incident. According to policy, the MSP troopers were placed on leave pending the investigation results.
An autopsy will be performed and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office will handle the case.
The woman was not injured in the incident.