Officer Struck By Gunfire & Suspect Deceased In Chesterton
The Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Section was requested by Chesterton Chief of Police Tim Richardson, to investigate an officer involved shooting that took place this morning.
This morning at approximately 8:00 am, the Chesterton Police Department was dispatched to the Hilton Garden Inn located at 501 Gateway Blvd, in Chesterton, to investigate a complaint about a suspicious person who had been in the hotel and was not a guest. When two officers arrived, they located the individual that had been reported by the hotel staff. During the initial interaction, a confrontation took place between the officers and the suspect. At some point during the altercation, the officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, with one of the officers sustaining a gunshot injury. That officer was transported to a trauma hospital in Illinois for treatment of that injury. The suspect was declared deceased at the scene by the Porter County Coroner. No other officers or individuals were injured during the incident. The officer that suffered the gunshot injury has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Indiana State Police Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators responded to the scene and at the request of Chief Richardson, have initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Once completed, those findings will be turned over to the Porter County Prosecutor for official review.
The Porter County Coroner has identified the deceased shooter as 45-year-old, Joseph Gerber, of Winamac. Cause of Death:
- self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
- multiple gunshot wounds
Manner of Death: Suicide
