(La Porte County, IN) - It appears a man who shot a police officer multiple times was hit by one of the rounds returned by the officer before taking his own life with a gunshot.

 

La Porte County Coroner Lynn Swanson said an autopsy shows Kevin Meyers, 54, suffered a gunshot wound to the back apparently fired by the officer during a gunfire exchange.  She said the bullet from the officer apparently went through the back of the cab of the stolen pick-up truck Meyers was driving and the seat he was in before entering his back.
             

Swanson said he then fled to the area of Joliet Road and Wozniak Road where the wounded Meyers stepped out of the truck and entered a corn field.   That's where he was later found deceased from a single shot to the chest fired from his AK-15 assault rifle.

           

She said the bullet in the back lodged in some fatty tissue was not a factor in his death.

 

Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit said the Friday morning chase began near Four Winds Casino outside New Buffalo when a police officer tried stopping him for driving a suspected stolen vehicle.

 

He said the pursuit ventured the short distance into Indiana on some side roads before returning to Michigan where the suspect fled westbound on Interstate 94.  At one point, Heit said the fleeing driver stuck the barrel of what was described as a rifle out the driver’s side window and fired at least one shot.

 

Heit said officers from Michigan stayed with the pursuit across the state line until law enforcement from multiple departments in Indiana were positioned to take over the chase.

 

“Once it went into Indiana further and they had enough units, we backed off and continued to monitor it but it never came back close to Michigan,” he said.

 

Several minutes later, the pursuit went southbound on U.S. 421 near Michigan City where a collision between the suspect and state trooper soon happened outside a Speedway station.

 

ISP Sgt. Glen Fifield said numerous shots rang out, including some by the officer returning fire.

 

The officer, Sgt. Justin Heflin, 40, was airlifted to Memorial Hospital in South Bend where he was listed in stable condition prior to surgery.

 

After the gunfire exchange, Fifield said more than 100 officers were involved in a manhunt for the suspect whose pick-up truck was located with help from a police helicopter.

 

Swanson said Meyers was driving a pick-up truck stolen the previous day from a Michigan City car dealership.   She said he removed a license plate from another vehicle at the casino and placed it on the stolen pick-up truck just before the pursuit.

 

According to court records, Meyers was serving a three year sentence on work release in La Porte County for auto theft.  A warrant was recently issued for his arrest for failing to return to the work release facility at night as required.