(La Porte County, IN) - New details have been revealed regarding the police shooting that took place in La Porte County Friday morning.
A state police trooper, now identified as 40-year-old Sgt. Justin Heflin, was shot multiple times in the parking lot of the Speedway gas station on U.S. 421 south of I-94 in Michigan City around 7 a.m. Friday.
The shootout was the culmination of a police chase from Berrien County, Michigan of a reportedly stolen vehicle. Reports indicate the suspect, now identified as 54-year-old Kevin Meyers of La Porte, was driving a 2019 Ford F-150 pickup and allegedly pointed and fired a rifle at officers in pursuit.
More gunfire broke out at the Speedway when the truck was brought to a stop. According to ISP, Meyers opened fire from inside his truck, striking Sgt. Heflin and his squad car multiple times. A fellow trooper drove Heflin to nearby Franciscan Hospital, from which he was transferred to South Bend Memorial.
Meanwhile, Myers took off in his truck. With more than 100 officers and a Lake County Sheriff’s helicopter involved in a manhunt, Myers’ pickup was located along a tree line near Westville in the area of Joliet Road and Wozniak Road. According to ISP, more shots rang out during the search before the suspect was found deceased by a tactical unit a few hours later in a cornfield in that same area.
Police said Myers suffered gunshot wounds. They don’t know right now if they were self-inflicted or from shots fired by officers. An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday morning.
Heflin, a Michigan City High School graduate, was an active-duty Marine for eight years prior to becoming a state trooper 12 years ago. Police said he underwent successful surgery and is in stable condition surrounded by family.
