Man fatally shot by western Indiana police officers after standoff identified by coroner
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A man who was fatally shot Tuesday by western Indiana police when he pointed a gun at officers following a standoff has been identified by authorities.
The Vigo County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Christopher W. Fortin, 34, of Terre Haute. Indiana State Police said Wednesday his family had been notified.
Fortin was shot Tuesday after he pointed a gun at officers following a standoff in Terre Haute.
City officers were sent to a landscaping business’s storage building where an armed man was inside making threats and pointing a gun at workers. Officers ordered Fortin to put down his weapon and leave the building, but a two-hour standoff ensued when he didn’t comply. State police said negotiators tried to make contact with him when he unexpectedly left the building and pointed his gun at law enforcement.
Two Terre Haute officers ordered him to drop the gun before opening fire. Fortin later died at a hospital. Police have not released information about how many times Fortin was shot.
The county coroner did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press about whether an autopsy had been performed or if its findings were available.
Police Chief Shawn Keene has identified the two officers who fired their weapons as David Pounds and Adam Neese. Both have been placed on administrative leave.
Indiana State Police are investigating the shooting and said no additional information would be immediately released. The agency said it would forward its eventual findings to the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office for review.