Five officers are on paid administrative leave, following last week's police-involved shooting in Valparaiso. The Valparaiso Police Department and Porter County Sheriff's Office say it's standard procedure for incidents involving deadly force.
Indiana State Police say the two agencies were called to Fairgrounds Park last Thursday, to investigate a report of a man displaying a handgun. Officers say they found a man matching his description near Butterfield Pavilion. Investigators say the suspect ran west toward Calumet Avenue, firing at officers and at a police vehicle, and officers returned fire as the pursuit continued.
Police say the man ran onto the porch of a house near Valparaiso Street and again raised his handgun at officers. That's when officers reportedly shot and incapacitated him.
Investigators say police handcuffed the man and rendered first aid until paramedics arrived. Caden Mura, 20, of Valparaiso, was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Valparaiso police say their officers who fired weapons are Captain Brian McDonald, a 31-year veteran of the department; Lieutenant Jon Watson, an eight-year veteran; and Patrol Officer Steven Augustine, a three-year veteran. The Porter County officers involved were Patrol Commander Lieutenant Jason Praschak, an 18-year veteran of the sheriff's office, and Patrol Officer Aaron Estrada, a three-year veteran.
In a statement, Valparaiso Police Chief Andrew McIntyre praised his officers, saying first responders' "actions were brave and prevented additional threat of harm in our community."
In a separate statement, Sheriff Jeff Balon noted, "Officer involved shootings are very complex and need to be investigated thoroughly."
