MITCHELL, Ind. — An early morning traffic stop in Mitchell led to shots being fired, leaving two police officers wounded and a suspect deceased, Indiana State Police said.
At approximately 3:15 a.m. Sunday, a Lawrence County sheriff’s ceputy pulled over a vehicle in the 4800 block of State Road 37 for a traffic violation. A second Lawrence County sheriff’s deputy and his K9 partner, along with a Mitchell police officer arrived to assist. The traffic stop evolved into a drug investigation after the police K9 conducted an open-air sniff and gave a positive indication of the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, state police said.
After officers searched the car and found narcotics, they attempted to put the man in handcuffs. He then fled from the officers on foot and ran west across State Road 37 into a grassy area. As the officers caught up to the man he physically began to resist arrest, state police said.
During the apprehension attempt, he drew a handgun and began firing at the officers at point blank-range, state police said Two officers were struck by gunfire, and at least one of the officers was able to return fire, wounding the man. More officers arrived, as well as personnel from the fire department, and provided emergency medical aid to both officers as well as the suspect. The two officers were transported by ambulance to a local hospital and then airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital from there. The suspect was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
After continuing to investigate the officer-involved shooting that occurred Sunday morning, Feb. 5, 2023, in Mitchell, detectives released the names of the wounded officers and the deceased suspect.
One of the officers involved is Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Rhoades, a five-year veteran of the department with the past three years served as a road deputy. The incident also involved Mitchell Police Officer Christian Anderson, a three-year veteran of the police department.
Rhoades suffered two non-life threatening gunshot wounds. He was transported by ambulance to IU Bedford Hospital and then transferred by helicopter to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He has since been released from the hospital.
Anderson suffered one non-life threatening gunshot wound. He was transported by ambulance to IU Bedford then transferred to IU Methodist by helicopter for treatment. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.
The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Anthony Richmond of West Baden Springs. He received emergency medical aid at the scene by officers and firefighters, he was loaded into an ambulance and was pronounced deceased in the ambulance.
Preliminary investigation has revealed Richmond fired several rounds at the officers while they were physically apprehending him after he fled from the original location of the traffic stop. The incident was captured on the officers’ body cameras and the footage is being reviewed by investigators.
“This tragic incident underscores the dangers that law enforcement officers face each day, even in our beloved Lawrence County. I am extremely proud of the actions and response by officers from my office as well as our law enforcement and first responder partners. I am very thankful Deputy Rhoades and Officer Anderson will make full recoveries, and I am mindful that a family is mourning the loss of a loved one. The lives of many people were affected by a senseless criminal act. Thank you to our brave officers for their dedication and courage,” said Lawrence County Sheriff Greg Day.
The Indiana State Police is being assisted by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, the Mitchell Police Department, the Mitchell Fire Department, Marion Township Rural Fire Department and the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office.
