Indiana State Police arrested a North Vernon man after he shot at a Scott County officer early Sunday morning, police report.
Todd A. Lacey, 52, faces a charge of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, a Level 6 felony.
Around 5:45 a.m., a Scott County Sheriff’s Department officer was on patrol on State Road 256 near Terry Road east of Austin when he observed an off-road vehicle turn east on the highway from Terry Road without stopping at the stop sign, according to a news release from Sgt. Carey Huls, public information for the Indiana State Police Sellersburg Post.
The officer attempted to make a traffic stop on the all-terrain vehicle, but the driver fled into a nearby field. Shortly after entering the field, the ATV stopped abruptly, and the officer exited his vehicle and continued the pursuit, approaching the suspect on foot, Huls said.
The officer reported he heard what he believed to be gunfire, and he returned fire as he took cover behind a nearby house trailer, police said.
When other officers arrived, they didn’t locate the suspect near the ATV and established a perimeter. Further attempts to locate the suspect were unsuccessful.
The sheriff’s department then requested the assistance of ISP detectives and crime scene technicians from the Sellersburg Post.
As the investigation continued, ISP detectives were able to identify a possible suspect after speaking with residents in the area. Indiana Conservation Officers offered the assistance of their search canines and helped troopers and officers in conducting a more in-depth search of the nearby wooded area where the suspect was believed to have fled.
At approximately 1:30 p.m., K-9 Smoky and his handler, ICO Jim Schreck, and ISP Trooper Brett Walters located the subject hiding in a wooded area a short distance from the original scene.
The suspect, identified as Lacey, was taken into custody without further incident.
Police weren’t able to locate the suspect weapon, but Lacey was found to be in possession of ammunition at the time of his arrest, Huls said.
Lacey was transported to the Washington County Jail in Salem. The investigation is ongoing, Huls said.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department also assisted with the incident.
In Indiana, a Level 6 felony carries a sentence of six months to two and a half years in prison if convicted.