BARGERSVILLE, Ind. — The Indiana State Police, along with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bargersville Police Department are conducting a joint investigation into a series of events that led to an officer-involved shooting in Bargersville Friday morning.
At about 9 p.m. Thursday, an officer from the Bargersville Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a light color Ram pick-up truck near State Road 135 and Whiteland Road for failing to signal a turn, state police said. The driver of the pick-up, described as a Hispanic male wearing jeans, a black shirt and a baseball hat, pulled over and the officer subsequently conducted an operating while intoxicated investigation. During the course of the investigation the driver got out of the vehicle at the officers request, he then got back into the pick-up and drove away. Officers pursued the vehicle from the stop location to the 100 block of Old Plank Road where the suspect drove through a residential yard and came to a stop. The suspect then got out of the truck and fled on foot through the neighborhood. The officers chased the male on foot, who was carrying a handgun and allegedly pointed the weapon at officers during the foot chase, however no shots were fired by the suspect or officers at this time. Officers lost sight of the suspect and continued their search throughout the overnight hours.
On Friday morning at approximately 7:52 a.m. the Bargersville Police Department received information from a citizen that the suspect was on foot in the area of the police department. Officers responded to the area and spotted the male, again the suspect fled on foot from the area. At 8:37 a.m. an alert citizen notified police that a suspicious person matching the description of the suspect was spotted in a residential area on Wagon Road. When officers arrived the suspect again ran from the officers. The suspect was located a short time later next to a residence in the 100 block of Old Trail Drive in Bargersville.
During this interaction with police it is alleged the suspect pointed a handgun in the direction of officers, one Indiana State Trooper and one Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy fired shots at the suspect, striking him. The suspect dropped the firearm but was non-compliant to other commands. A taser was deployed by a Bargersville Police Officer and the suspect was placed in handcuffs, at which time officers immediately requested paramedics and began rendering medical aid. Officers continued medical aid until personnel from the Bargersville Fire Department arrived. The male was transported to a local hospital in serious condition. A handgun was recovered from the immediate area where male suspect was taken into custody.
The suspect was identified as 44 year old Efrain Perez-Ramirez. He is currently in police custody at the hospital.
This investigation is ongoing and detectives are still on scene, there were no officers injured in this incident.
