In Chesteron, Indiana, authorities have confirmed the identity of a man who was killed following an exchange of gunfire with police officers on Wednesday morning.
The video in this story is from a previous report
The man has been identified as Joseph Gerber, a 45-year-old resident of Winamac, by the Porter County Coroner’s Office. According to the coroner’s office, Gerber succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head along with sustaining other gunshot injuries.
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During the altercation, which took place at approximately 8:06 a.m. near the junction of Gateway Boulevard and Matson Drive opposite a Hilton Garden Inn close to the expressway, a Chesterton police officer was also injured.
Indiana State Police said hotel employees called police with reports of a suspicious man in the area.
Once police arrived to the scene, they got into a confrontation with the man which led to an exchange of gunfire, in which the suspect was killed, police said
An officer was taken to a hospital in Illinois for a gunshot wound, police said. The other officer he was with during the shooting was not hurt at all.
Indiana State Police are now handling the investigation, and they said they’re still looking into what exactly led to the shootout.
“That’s part of what our investigators will find out, why they were called there obviously something brought his attention to their attention, the way he was acting, and obviously something was going on for their to be a confrontation and exchange of gunfire with officers,” Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifeld said.
ISP is now also investigating the use of force, and the two officers involved in the shooting will go on routine administrative leave.
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