An officer-involved shooting on the Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW) campus resulted in the death of a wanted man on Tuesday morning. The Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) has launched an external investigation into the incident.
According to FWPD Chief Scott Caudill, the DeKalb County Community Corrections office reached out to his department at 7:17 a.m. seeking their assistance in locating an individual who failed to return to their custody.
According to Caudill, they received a notification stating that the suspect could be carrying a handgun at a Fort Wayne apartment complex, about five minutes later. The FWPD officers were then informed that the man might be on the PFW campus and was seen near Kettler Circle and Campus Drive. The officials approached the suspect, but he did not comply with their orders.
According to Caudill, the officers were notified by the dispatchers that the suspect was armed. As a result, FWPD immediately called for emergency backup.
During an interview with 21Alive News, Caudill reported that the subject was hit by gunfire and officers notified dispatch at 7:48 a.m.
According to Caudill, the suspect received assistance from the officers present at the scene, and despite their efforts, the paramedics who arrived later pronounced him dead. Fortunately, no other individuals sustained any injuries during the incident.
The FWPD is currently investigating the shooting, while parallel investigations are being conducted by the Indiana State Police, the PFW Police Department, the Allen County Coroner’s Office, and the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.
According to an alert issued by the university at around 9 a.m., the campus, which includes IU Fort Wayne, will be closed for the rest of the day.
Because of an ongoing Fort Wayne Police Department investigation on the west side of campus between Kettler Hall and the river, the campus of Purdue University Fort Wayne (including Indiana University Fort Wayne) will be closed for the remainder of the day Tuesday, July 30.There is no active threat and the incident, which started off campus, involved no one affiliated with either PFW or IUFW.All nonessential employees are expected to work remotely, and all online meetings should continue, as scheduled. Essential university personnel should report as scheduled. Please check with your supervisor for additional guidance.Unless otherwise announced, the campus will return to normal operations Wednesday, July 31, and conduct business as usual.
