The Indiana State Police continue to investigate an officer involved shooting that occurred Wednesday morning in Brownstown, Indiana that involved two Brownstown Police Officers and left a 53-year-old Brownstown man dead.
The first officer involved in the shooting has been identified as Brownstown Police Chief Tom Hanner.
Chief Hanner is a 15 year law enforcement veteran. He has been chief of the Brownstown Police Department for seven years and previously served with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
The second officer has been identified as Assistant Chief Joe Kelly. Assistant Chief Kelly is a 12 year law enforcement veteran and previously served with the Indiana Capital Police before being hired by the Brownstown Police Department.
Both Chief Hanner and Assistant Chief Kelly have been placed on administrative leave per department protocol.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the Indiana State Police will submit the investigation to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
The investigation continues in the officer involved shooting that occurred on April 3, 2019, outside of the Brownstown Police Department in Jackson County.
The initial evidence indicated that a male, identified as Barry A. Rucker, age 53, Brownstown, Indiana along with a female arrived at the Brownstown Police Department together shortly after 8:00 am.
Rucker and the female were involved in an altercation outside of the police department which prompted a 911 call from a passerby. Hanner and Kelly from the Brownstown Police Department soon arrived on scene.
After the officers arrived, an altercation occurred between the officers and Rucker.
During the altercation, Rucker produced a gun, prompting both officers to fire at least one round from their handguns.
Rucker was struck by at least one of the bullets fired by the officers.
Deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department soon arrived on scene and assisted the Brownstown officers in administering immediate first aid to Rucker.
Jackson County EMS arrived on scene and transported Rucker to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Indiana where he was soon pronounced deceased by the Jackson County Coroner’s Office.
None of the officers or the female acquaintance of Rucker were injured.
Detectives from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post responded to the scene and became the lead investigating agency.
Barry Rucker’s family has been notified.
The names of the officers involved in the incident will be posted in a future release.
The Brownstown Community School Corporation briefly went on lockdown after the incident occurred until it was determined that there was no threat to any of the schools in the district.
Streets located near the Brownstown Police Department were blocked off for nearly eight hours while the investigation was occurring.
