Police: Man shot dead by Lawrence officer produced weapon

Updated Oct. 28 at 4:45 p.m.

An auto theft suspect fatally shot by an officer had produced a weapon at the end of a brief, high-speed pursuit, suburban Indianapolis police said Friday.

Three people were in the suspected stolen vehicle Thursday afternoon when the driver fled from a traffic stop, Lawrence Police said in a news release.

The driver at one point slowed down and two passengers got out and surrendered, were interviewed and then released, police said.

The pursuit ended on the east side of Indianapolis after the man lost control of the vehicle and it came to a stop, police said.

“As officers converged on the driver of the vehicle, he initially refused to comply with officers’ directions to surrender, and instead produced a weapon,” the news release said.

One Lawrence officer shot the suspect one time, police said.

The weapon the man produced was later found inside the vehicle, but police have not said what that weapon is.

The suspect was taken to a hospital but later died. The Marion County Coroner's Office identified him as Carlos Trotter, 36. It said the cause of death was a gunshot wound and ruled the death a homicide.

No police officers were injured in the incident.

The officer who shot the man has been placed on temporary modified/administrative duty assignment pending the outcome of the investigation and an administrative review, police said.

Original post

Suburban Indianapolis police fatally shot an auto theft suspect Thursday afternoon following a brief high-speed pursuit that ended on the Indianapolis east side.

Lawrence Police Chief Gary Woodruff said officers around 3 p.m. located an occupied vehicle that had been reported stolen. The driver ignored an attempt to pull him over fled the scene.

At the end of the chase reaching speeds up to 90 mph and lasting about 10 minutes, the officer shot the suspect, Woodruff said. The suspect was struck one time and taken to a hospital in unknown condition but later died.

Woodruff did not say if the suspect had or pointed a weapon.

“The dynamics of what led to the officer-involved shooting very much remain under investigation,” Woodruff said.

Only one officer fired their gun and only one shot was fired, police said.

No police officers were injured in the incident.

The names of the suspect and the officer were not immediately released.