Indiana deputy fatally shoots suspect after police pursuit

CULVER, Ind. (AP) - A northern Indiana sheriff's deputy fatally shot a motorist who fled a traffic stop and eventually stopped and pinned the deputy between two vehicles, police said.

Indiana State Police are investigating Sunday's fatal shooting, which occurred after a Culver police officer tried to stop a motorist suspected of driving while intoxicated in Marshall County.

After the driver failed to stop, a police pursuit began along State Road 17 west of Culver, police said.

When the car's driver eventually stopped in a Culver parking lot, a Marshall County sheriff's deputy stopped his patrol car in front of the suspect's car. State police said that when deputy exited his vehicle, the suspect allegedly drove forward, pinning the deputy between the suspect's car and the officer's patrol car.

The deputy then fired several shots, striking the driver of the car, who drove several hundred feet before crashing into an empty vehicle in a nearby parking lot, police said.

The car's driver was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the deputy was taken to a local hospital for a checkup and later released.

The suspect's name has not been released and an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

State police said the the deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave, a routine step in police-involved shootings.

Culver is a town located about 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) southwest of South Bend.