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Trooper shot in chase
An Indiana State Police trooper, Sgt. Justin Heflin, was shot multiple times during a pursuit of a stolen vehicle that began in Berrien County, Michigan and continued into La Porte County, Indiana, with the incident unfolding near U.S. 421 and County Road 300 North.
“Sgt. Justin Heflin, a 12‑year veteran of the Indiana State Police, was shot on Friday morning”
NBC 5 Chicago reported that Heflin was shot on Friday morning and later located the suspect’s vehicle near Interstate 94 and U.S. 421, when a collision occurred between the suspect’s F-150 pickup truck and Heflin’s patrol vehicle.
After the crash, the suspect fired shots and Heflin was transported to Franciscan Health Michigan City for initial treatment before being transferred to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, where he underwent surgery and was said to be in stable condition late Friday afternoon.
During the ensuing manhunt, the Lake County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit located the suspect’s truck in a tree line near Joliet and Wozniak roads, and police later found the suspect deceased in a cornfield with injuries consistent with a gunshot.
Authorities identified the suspect as Kevin W. Meyers, 54, of La Porte, and NBC 5 Chicago said a motive for the shooting hasn’t been determined.
Officials stress no threat
Indiana State Police spokesperson Glen Fifield told reporters that the suspect who shot the trooper was dead and that there was "no ongoing threat to the community," while he said more information would be released later that day.
WIMS AM 1420 said the suspect fired multiple rounds from a rifle and pointed the weapon at pursuing officers during the pursuit, and it described a collision between the suspect’s silver 2019 Ford F-150 and the trooper’s patrol car before the suspect opened fire from inside the truck.
Fifield said police pursued the suspect to a wooded area near the intersection of Joliet and Wozniak roads near Westville, or about five miles south of where the shooting took place, and he said approximately 100 officers were at that location searching for the suspect.
WIMS AM 1420 reported that at approximately 9:16 a.m. the Lake County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit located the Ford F-150 concealed in a tree line in the 7500 block of Joliet Road in rural LaPorte County, and gunfire was heard from a nearby cornfield.
The same WIMS release said no officers were injured, and it stated the suspect was later found deceased in the cornfield with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Aftermath and investigation
The shooting triggered a large-scale response that included tactical teams and aviation resources, and ABC7 Chicago reported that as many as 100 officers and SWAT units were searching for the suspect before he was found dead shortly after 1:15 p.m.
“"So, yeah, so we're hurting... as a profession."”
ABC7 Chicago also described the incident as stretching across state lines, with the suspect stopping around 5 a.m. at a Speedway gas station at 2884 U.S. Highway 421 near Michigan City, where a collision occurred and the suspect shot and wounded the sergeant multiple times.
In a separate case mentioned by ABC7 Chicago, the shooting added to a pattern of police violence in northwest Indiana, marking the third time an officer had been shot in the line of duty since May 22, when LaPorte County Sheriff’s Deputy Jon Samuelson was injured inside Franciscan Health Michigan City hospital.
WSBT reported that Sgt. Justin Heflin was in good spirits after a successful surgery and was surrounded by family, while it said the suspect was identified as 54-year-old Kevin Meyers of La Porte and that his injuries were consistent with gunshot wounds.
WSBT further stated that police response was massive, with over 100 officers at the scene around 9 a.m. Central Time and multiple agencies responding including the FBI, ATF and the U.S. Marshalls, while the Indiana State Police said there was no threat to the community.
