Jackson County Deputy Mitch Ray conducted a vehicle traffic stop Tuesday morning around 8:00 a.m on a 1994 black Chevrolet pickup. The stop occurred near the intersection of CR 700 East and CR 600 South in Grassy Fork Township.

During the stop, Deputy Ray discovered the pickup truck had recently been reported stolen out of Scott County. The driver, Christina Pedigo age 49, of Seymour was detained and placed in Deputy Ray’s patrol car. …

On July 15, 2019, Deputies Johnny Coomer and Skylar Thompson conducted a traffic stop in Austin leading to an investigation.

Once the investigation was complete Tyson Eversole, 18, of Austin was arrested for Possession of Marijuana, Possession of a Schedule I, II, III or IV Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession or Use of a Legend Drug and Visiting a Common Nuisance.

Detectives from the Indiana State Police are investigating a police-involved shooting at a Memphis area truck stop that sent one man to the University of Louisville (UofL) Hospital where he later died.

The preliminary investigation reveals that around noon on Tuesday Officers from the Clark County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Love’s Truck Stop in Memphis at the request of the Charlestown Police Department (CPD). 

CPD was working a missing person case involving a male subject who was believed to be suicidal and in possession of a handgun.  CPD had information that man was possibly at the Loves Truck Stop and requested Clark County Deputies to assist by checking that location. 

When Clark County Deputies arrived, they located the man, now identified as Stephen E. Fischer, 62, Charlestown, Indiana, armed with a handgun near his vehicle. 

They also witnessed Fischer fire his pistol into the pavement of the parking lot.

Officers on scene attempted using less-than-lethal options; however, they were unsuccessful, and at one point in the encounter, at least one officer fired upon and struck Fischer. 

Officers immediately rendered first-aid, and he was rushed to UofL Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. 

This investigation is ongoing. 

Indiana State Police detectives are investigating the shooting with assistance from the Charlestown Police Department, The Clark County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana Conservation Officers, and the Sellersburg Police Department. 

Due to the location where the shooting occurred, State Police Detectives request anyone with information or possible video recording of the incident to contact Detective Matt Busick at 812-248-4375. 

A 35-year-old Nashville man was arrested for allegedly dealing a large amount of Meth at a residence on Plum Creek Road. 

After an investigation found probable cause, a Brown County Search Warrant was issued yesterday afternoon regarding alleged methamphetamine dealing for a residence on Plum Creek Road in Nashville.

The search warrant for the residence also included Christopher James, 35, of Nashville.

Troopers and Detectives from the Indiana State Police, along with Deputies from the Brown County Sheriff Department, executed the search warrant.

James was found inside. 

Inside the residence, Troopers located over 100 grams of a crystal substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. ecstasy, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, pills, dimethyltryptamine, six long guns, four handguns, (one with an obliterated serial number and one which was found to be stolen out of Lanesville, Indiana).

James was transported to the Brown County Jail where he was incarcerated on the following charges;

• Dealing methamphetamine over 10 grams (with Firearm)              Level 2 Felony

• Possession of Methamphetamine over 28 grams (with Firearm) Level 3 Felony
• Possession of Stolen Firearm                                                           Level 6 Felony

Troopers Chris Griggs, Matthew Hatchett along with Brown County Deputies Scott Bowling, Brian Shrader, Paul Henderson, Colten Magner, and Kyle Minor assisted at the scene.

Brown County Prosecutor Ted Adams was at the scene and assisted in the investigation as well.

Anyone with information regarding illegal drug activity is encouraged to contact the Indiana State Police Bloomington District at 812-332-4411.

All Suspects Are Presumed Innocent Until Proven Guilty in a Court of Law

Saturday night July 13 around 9:15 PM a seven-year-old girl was playing with other children on her campsite in Brown County State Park. The girl ran around the outside of the tent into the edge of the wood line where it is presumed she was bitten by a copperhead snake. After complaining of two puncture wounds on her ankle her father checked the area and saw a snake. 

The family called 911 and transported the girl to meet the ambulance at the park entrance. The ambulance started for Columbus Regional Hospital and was then diverted to Riley Children’s Hospital. Doctors stated the girl will make a full recovery. 

DNR employees attempted to catch the snake, but heavy foliage allowed it to escape. The DNR employees were joined by Indiana Conservation Officers, Brown County First Responders, Brown County Sheriff Department and Nashville Police. 

While rare, there have been other copperhead bites in the park and they have had the same factors in common. They have occurred after dark and the person involved was not using a flashlight in a poorly lit area. 

There are a few tips to consider in order to prevent encounters with snakes in the park:

• Stay on designated trails and mowed areas. Snake is less likely to come out in the open.  
• However, after dark, snakes will move around to hunt for food or lay on warm roadways. So it is a good idea to stay in well-lit areas or use a flashlight. 
• Keep your campsite clean. Snakes feed on rodents and human food wrappers, and debris on the ground may draw rodents to the site and the snakes may follow.  
• If you are camping in an area where there are snakes check your site occasionally to make sure no snakes are passing through.
• If a snake does come on your site stay away from it, keep kid and pets away from it and contact the campground office to let the park staff know.  

Copperheads are natural members of the ecosystem and food chains of this area. Copperheads mostly feed on small rodents. Together with their controls on rodent population actually have a large impact on reducing tick populations.

So they have their part to play in our environment. When we play in the same environment that they live in we just need to be careful and take a little extra caution. It is illegal to kill snakes on Indiana State Parks property.

All DNR news release can be found at https://www.in.gov/dnr/4934.htm.

This morning just after midnight a single vehicle motorcycle crash claimed the life of a female.

Emergency crews were called to I-65 southbound near Lafayette Road for reports of a crash with two people seriously injured.

When medics arrived they found a female unconscious and unresponsive, she was later pronounced deceased at the scene.

The male was also seriously injured and he was transported to Methodist Hospital in critical condition. Neither person was wearing a helmet.

Preliminary investigation led officers to believe the motorcycle came upon backed up traffic due to construction, that’s when the driver purposely went around the construction barrels into a closed portion of the roadway to pass traffic.

While in the closed area the driver hit uneven pavement, lost control and struck the concrete median barrier wall. 

This crash is still under investigation and there is no further information to release at this time. The families of the victims have been notified.