Indiana prosecutor seeking death penalty in deputy's slaying

LEBANON, Ind. (AP) - A prosecutor announced Tuesday he would seek the death penalty against the man charged with fatally shooting a central Indiana sheriff's deputy during a foot chase last month.

Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer said Anthony Baumgardt of Lebanon should "face the ultimate consequence" for the March 2 shooting of Deputy Jacob Pickett, who was chasing of Baumgardt with his police dog.

Pickett, a 34-year-old married father of two, died three days later after being kept on life support for organ donation.

Meyer said during a news conference that Baumgardt's behavior since his arrest contributed to his death penalty decision. Baumgardt, 21, told reporters while being led into the courthouse last month that he fired the shots because he "didn't want to get bit by a dog" and had "no remorse."

"The way Anthony Baumgardt has responded and reacted to this situation is very troubling and disturbing," Meyer said. "I think that weighed significantly on my decision making."

Baumgardt is charged with shooting Pickett in the head while the deputy was helping chase Baumgardt and two other men in Lebanon, a city about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Indianapolis. He also faces charges of resisting law enforcement and illegal handgun, methamphetamine and marijuana possession.

Baumgardt has been jailed without bond since the shooting and his next court hearing is scheduled for Friday. Defense attorney Allan Reid didn't immediately return a phone message seeking comment on Tuesday.

During his initial hearing last month, Baumgardt asked the judge whether the death penalty was being sought against him. When the judge told him prosecutors haven't yet made that decision, he asked, "If I were to seek it out on my own would that change anything? You know, enter my guilty plea now and seek the death penalty?"

Baumgardt wasn't being sought by police officers when the March 2 chase began. They were looking to arrest a woman wanted on a warrant and saw another man facing an arrest warrant who fled through the streets of Lebanon in a stolen car in which Baumgardt was a passenger, according to court documents. Pickett and his dog were pursuing Baumgardt after he ran away from the car when it briefly stopped.

Meyer said he anticipated soon filing criminal charges related to Pickett's death against others involved in the chase. All those people have been jailed on other charges, he said.