Vigo County - Chief Shawn Keene of the Terre Haute Police Department has released that the officers involved in the shooting that occurred on July 25, 2023, on Fruitridge Avenue, are Patrolman David Pounds, five years of service, and Patrolman Adam Neese, four years of service. Both officers are assigned to the Uniform Division.
The deceased male suspect has been positively identified by the Vigo County Coroner’s Office as Christopher W. Fortin, age 34, of Terre Haute, Indiana.
Family has been notified.
This is an active and ongoing Indiana State Police investigation. There is no further information to release at this time. Upon completion of their investigation, Indiana State Police detectives will submit a full report of the incident to the Vigo County Prosecutor's Office for review.
Under the Law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
*Original Release Below*
Indiana State Police Investigating an Officer-Involved Shooting in Terre Haute
Vigo County - Detectives from the Indiana State Police Putnamville Post have been requested by Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt to investigate an officer-involved shooting incident that took place on July 25, 2023, at approximately 9:00 a.m., at 1309 Fruitridge Avenue in Terre Haute.
At approximately 7:00 a.m., officers of the Terre Haute Police Department were dispatched to 1309 Fruitridge Avenue in reference to an male suspect in a storage building making verbal threats and pointing a firearm at employees. Upon locating the suspect in a storage building and seeing that the suspect did have a handgun, officers from the Terre Haute Police Department began giving loud verbal commands for the suspect to put down the weapon and exit the building. The suspect did not comply and a perimeter was then established around the storage building.
The Terre Haute Police Department Special Response Team and negotiators were then requested to make the scene. Negotiators attempted to make contact with the suspect for approximately two hours to no avail. Unexpectedly, the suspect then exited the building on the south side and engaged uniformed officers by pointing a firearm towards them. Two officers gave verbal commands for the suspect to drop the firearm, but the commands were disregarded. Both officers then fired their police-issued weapons at the subject, resulting in the subject being shot.
Medical assistance was immediately rendered at the scene and the suspect was subsequently transported to a local hospital in Terre Haute. However, the suspect, who has not yet been positively identified, succumbed to the injuries. An autopsy has been scheduled by the Vigo County Coroner’s Office.
The two officers from the Terre Haute Police Department involved in this incident have been placed on administrative leave, which is customary in officer-involved shootings.
The investigation is being conducted by Indiana State Police detectives, Don Curtis, Jason Schoffstall, Ryan Winters with the assistance of First Sergeant Brian Maudlin, Sergeant Michael Featherling, CSI Sergeant Brandon Mullen, CSI Sergeant Tim Rader and Sergeant Michael Organ of the Putnamville State Police Post.
This is an active and ongoing Indiana State Police investigation. There is no further information to release at this time. Upon completion of their investigation, Indiana State Police detectives will submit a full report of the incident to the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office for review.