Vanderburgh sheriff deputies shoot, kill man while trying to serve warrant
EVANSVILLE — Vanderburgh County Sheriff deputies shot and killed a man Wednesday afternoon while attempting to serve a warrant, Sheriff Noah Robinson said, marking the second armed police standoff to turn deadly in less than one month.
Robinson did not publicly identify the man, who reportedly fired multiple shots at deputies and members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force. The Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office will release the individual's name once the family has been notified, Robinson said.
According to police, the standoff began around noon in the 7300 block of St. Joseph Road when deputies attempted to arrest the man for alleged parole violations. Deputies also reportedly wanted to speak to the man after an anonymous tip indicated he discharged a firearm in front of a juvenile earlier in the week.
Robinson said the tip included video footage of the prior incident.
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"That video shows a man stand up from a chair and discharge a firearm into the ground near a juvenile," Robinson said. "We later developed information to identify this man as well as the juvenile. We got information that he was a violent felon and should not have been allowed to possess a firearm."
The Courier & Press also obtained video that matches Robinson's description of the footage. One individual who was present at the scene of the prior shooting said they narrowly avoided being struck by a bullet.
"I don't know how I'm alive," they said.
When deputies arrived at the St. Joseph Road residence Wednesday afternoon with search and arrest warrants, the man reportedly fired at deputies and barricaded himself in a trailer. Police then moved to their armored "BearCat" vehicle and used its mechanical "arm" to tear away pieces of the structure.
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"As we continued to pull apart the trailer, we were met with additional gunfire," Robinson said. "At one point, a deputy returned fire, striking the suspect."
Robinson said deputies administered medical aid, but the man died at the scene.
The Vanderburgh County Coroner and Indiana State Police were still on site as of Wednesday afternoon. Robinson said the ISP would investigate the shooting as part of an agreement with the VCSO to investigate all deputy-involved shootings.
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation spokesperson Jason Woebkenberg said nearby Cynthiana Heights Elementary did not go into lockdown due to the incident but that other precautions were taken.
"Dismissal delay was being considered until we received the all clear to dismiss at the normal time," he told the Courier & Press via text. "We did alert parents that some buses may be delayed due to road closures as a result of the incident."
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The shooting comes just three weeks after Evansville police shot and killed 37-year-old Gary Youngblood Jr. during an armed standoff in the 200 block of East Missouri Street. Evansville Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Gray said Youngblood repeatedly brandished an "airsoft gun" at officers, who believed the weapon to be a real firearm.
Robinson said he would release additional details about Wednesday's fatal standoff during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Vanderburgh County deputies shoot, kill man after brief standoff
