A domestic disturbance in Granger Wednesday afternoon led to the death of a suspect.
Police responded to the call in the 10 thousand 100 block of Conover Drive shortly before 1:30 p.m.
A man had allegedly been chasing a woman with a knife. Officers confronted the suspect, who allegedly made an aggressive move toward the officers. A taser was used by one of the officers to subdue him.
Sheriff Bill Redman says the suspect suffered some sort of medical issue while in handcuffs, and died while efforts were made to revive him.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Domestic call results in fatality of the suspect
St. Joseph County – March 18, 2020 – At approximately 1:25 p.m. today St. Joseph County police were dispatched to a home in the 10200 block of Conover Drive in Granger for a domestic call, stating a male individual was as chasing his wife with a knife.
County Officers arrived on scene and confronted the male in a garage. A family friend was also on scene, along with the wife. The male was lying on the ground in the garage with the knife in his hand but refusing to obey commands to release the knife. Officers continued to verbally order the individual to release the knife. At approximately 1:36 p.m. a County Police officer Tazed the male. Officers were then able to move the male from the garage and hand cuff him. The male then began to have difficulty breathing. Officers requested dispatch send medics and the officers began CPR on the male. Medics arrive on scene and began life-saving efforts. A short time later the male was pronounced dead by the medics.
County Metro-Homicide Unit has been called into investigate. CMHU have begun to interview all the witnesses and gather all evidence. The County Police officer who discharged his Tazer will be placed on administrative leave until such time as the investigation is completed. Any further information or updates will come from Metro-Homicide.
Sheriff Redman and the St. Joseph County Police send their condolences to the family. “This is the not the way we want any call to end,” Redman told reporters. “This is particularly saddening situation because we have been told the individual had recently been unstable and acting strangely because he had not been taking his medications.
