Armed Man Fatally Shot by Local Police at Indiana Casino-Hotel

Posted on: October 19, 2024, 08:24h. 

Last updated on: October 19, 2024, 08:24h.

An unnamed man was shot dead by police at Indiana’s Hollywood Casino & Hotel Lawrenceburg on Saturday morning during an exchange of gunfire, according to authorities.

Three Lawrenceburg, Ind. police officers confronted the man in a fourth-floor hallway of the hotel.

He refused to put down a handgun despite repeated warnings, police said. The suspect shot first. Police officers and the suspect exchanged gunfire.

The suspect was struck at least once by the officers. The suspect died at the scene.

Under routine procedures in a police-involved shooting, the officers were placed on administrative leave.

The suspect, while holding a knife, also had been chasing and threatening a woman around the hotel, according to Indiana State Police (ISP). He also threatened another man with the knife before cops arrived. The two men didn’t know each other prior to the incident, police said.

It was also reported that shots were fired in the casino’s hotel, likely by the suspect, before cops arrived.

Initially, local police were alerted at about 1 a.m.

Shooting Will Be Reviewed

The ISP will investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. It will need to be determined if the use of deadly force was justified by the officers.

“The investigation is ongoing,” ISP Sgt. Stephen Wheeles said in a Saturday statement.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the case will be presented to the Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office for review…The identity of the involved officers is being withheld at this time. They are all being placed on administrative leave as part of normal Lawrenceburg Police Department protocols.”

None of the officers involved in the shooting was injured during the confrontation.

The dead man will undergo an autopsy. The Dearborn County Coroner’s Office will confirm his identity, and reveal the manner and cause of death.

“His identity is being withheld pending proper identification being made by the Dearborn County Coroner’s Office and notification of the next of kin,” according to Wheeles.

Police have yet to reveal the reason why the suspect was chasing the woman. It’s not immediately if the two knew each other before Saturday’s incident.

Guests Relocated

After the shooting, officers checked to see if other guests in the hotel were okay. Police and hotel employees temporarily relocated guests in the area of the shooting. No other injuries were reported to police.

Lawrenceburg is located about 30 miles west of Cincinnati, Ohio.