Two males died after a shooting sparked a two-county police chase that concluded with an officer-involved shooting Sunday night.
At 7:29 p.m., the Fort Wayne Police Department was responded to Hinton Dr., northwest of downtown, after receiving reports of a shooting at a home in the 1600 block. Responding cops discovered a man who had been shot and died after being taken to a nearby medical facility.
While responding to the scene, a caller described an automobile that police believed belonged to the offender. The automobile was spotted driving away from the area. When cops caught up with the suspect, a pursuit began after the motorist refused to pull over.
According to the Fort Wayne Police Department, the chase lasted approximately 20 minutes and traveled through western Allen County before crossing into Whitley County. The chase terminated with the suspect colliding with State Rd. 9 and 100 E south of Columbia City.
After the crash, the suspect began shooting at officers. Officers from multiple responding departments returned fire. A brief standoff occurred when the Fort Wayne Emergency Services Team (EST) and Crisis Response Team arrived.
Officers and doctors at the Whitley County site subsequently confirmed that the driver, an adult male, had died. According to FWPD, he was the only person in the vehicle, and there were no other vehicles or people involved.
There were no officers hurt during the chase or exchange of firearms. The Indiana State Police will investigate the officer-involved shooting in accordance with established protocol. Any FWPD officers involved will be given routine administrative leave.
FWPD homicide detectives were still investigating and analyzing the original crime site on Fort Wayne’s northwest side. Police claimed they still don’t know what caused the incident.
As of early Monday morning, detectives were interviewing witnesses.
