Wednesday at approximately 1:00 pm, two people were arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop by an Indiana State Trooper on I-65 near Crothersville led to the discovery of methamphetamine. 

The investigation began when Trooper Randel Miller conducted a traffic stop on a white 1991 Chevrolet truck on I-65 Northbound near the 36-mile marker in southern Jackson County for a traffic infraction. 

During the course of the traffic stop, Trp. Miller became suspicious of criminal activity.  He deployed his drug detection K-9 Jinx, who alerted to the odor of drugs coming from the vehicle.

During a search of the vehicle, troopers located approximately 28 grams of suspected methamphetamine in the vehicle. 

Trp. Miller arrested the driver of the vehicle, Ryan C. Plessinger, age 33, North Vernon, Indiana and his passenger Rose Z. Victorino, age 57, Crothersville, Indiana on drug charges. 

After being transported to the Jackson County Jail, Victorino was found to be in possession of approximately 40 additional grams of suspected methamphetamine that was concealed on her person.

Both Plessinger and Victorino face charges of Dealing Methamphetamine and Possession of Methamphetamine, both felonies. 

They were incarcerated pending their initial appearances in the Jackson County Circuit Court.

Trp. Miller was assisted by additional troopers with the Indiana State Police-Versailles All Crimes Policing Unit.

A Scottsburg man was shot and killed by a Salem Police officer on Wednesday, July 3 before 2 p.m.

Mark A. Naugle, 53, Scottsburg, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Washington County Coroner.

Naugle was a 1984 graduate of Salem High school and a brother of Washington County Sheriffs’s Deputy Brad Naugle.

According to Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls, the initial evidence and investigation reveal that shortly before 2 p.m., two Salem City Police officers arrived on fairgrounds property to investigate a suspicious person call involving a male subject.  

Naugle was observed looking around equipment at Thunder Valley Raceway and a person phone police to let them know.

Officers eventually located Naugle standing in the creek which borders the property.  

During the encounter, Naugle approached the officers brandishing a hammer and refused repeated commands to drop the hammer and stop approaching, prompting at least one Salem police officer to fire their weapon, striking and killing Naugle.

Huls said the names of the officers won’t be released until Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Dustin Houchin has the information from the state police and is ready to make a statement. 

Washington County EMS was called to the fairgrounds at 1:59p.

Both police officers have been placed on administrative leave, which is customary in police-involved shootings. 

ISP was dispatched to the area of the Washington County Fairgrounds in Salem Wednesday afternoon.

ISP detectives assumed the investigation upon arriving on-scene at the request of the Salem Police Department and were assisted by officers from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.

This investigation is ongoing, including an autopsy, and more information will be released as it becomes available.  

Once the preliminary investigation has been completed, all information will be turned over to the Washington County Prosecutor for review.    

State police units were assisted by the Salem City Police Department, The Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Washington County EMS, and the Washington County Coroner’s Office.  

What began as a 911 call about a person inside a red Pontiac pointing a firearm on I-465 led to a vehicle pursuit that ended with the driver crashing into a trooper, a police K9 apprehension and possession of heroin. 

Just after midnight the state police received a call of a passenger inside a red Pontiac on I-465 possibly pointing a rifle at other motorists.

A short time later Trooper Ty Mays located a vehicle matching the description and noticed it had a headlight out. When he attempted to stop the car the driver fled. At one point during the pursuit, a male passenger baled out of the car and fled on foot.

A short time later Trooper Mays pulled alongside the Pontiac at which time the driver swerved into him, colliding with the passenger side of the police car.

The pursuit came to a stop a short time later, a female passenger then fled on foot while Trooper Mays took the driver into custody. The driver was identified as 20-year-old Christopher Poindexter of Indianapolis. 

Trooper Mays requested the assistance of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department who responded with several officers including one K9 Officer.

The K9 was able to track the male suspect who fled on foot during the pursuit and make a successful apprehension.

That male was identified as 22-year-old Christopher Moore of Indianapolis. He was also found to have outstanding warrants, one of which included resisting law enforcement.  

Troopers believe they have the identity of the female who fled on foot from the stop however she is not yet in custody. There were no firearms located in vehicle however Mr. Moore was allegedly in possession of heroin. All criminal charges will be determined by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office

All suspects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. 

The body of Donald Watson, 26, Louisville, was recovered during search operations today at approximately 4:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Friends of the victim were assisting Indiana Conservation Officers in the search just downstream of the Sherman Minton bridge when they located the body adrift in the river. 

Watson’s body was subsequently recovered by Indiana Conservation Officers. 

The Floyd County Coroner’s Office has ruled accidental drowning as the preliminary cause of death, pending toxicology test results. 

No further information will be released.  

One man was rescued from the Ohio River by the Clarksville Fire Department after the boat he was on crashed into the upper gates of the McAlpine Dam on July 1. 

Indiana Conservation Officers along with multiple other agencies have been searching this week for the boat and its operator, who failed to resurface after the boat capsized. 

Shortly after 6:30 p.m. on July 1, emergency crews responded to the McAlpine Dam area after witnesses observed the boat capsize. 

The operator and his passenger, Levell Washington, 28, of Jeffersonville, were both thrown overboard after an apparent malfunction with the boat’s motor near the dam. 

Washington managed to jump from the boat and was swept through the gates of the dam before being rescued by Clarksville Fire Department. Watson was seen struggling to stay afloat before disappearing beneath the surface.

Preliminary investigation indicates that Watson had purchased the 18’ fiberglass boat earlier this week, and this was his first time operating the boat on the Ohio River.  Neither of the men was initially wearing lifejackets, but according to interviews both did manage to put them on just prior to the collision.

Indiana Conservation Officers are continuing to investigate with assistance from local agencies.  Multiple agencies responded to the scene including Indiana Conservation Officers, Clarksville Fire Department, Clarksville Police Department, New Albany Fire Department, New Albany Police Department, Indiana State Police, Louisville Fire Department, Jeffersonville Fire Department, and Yellow EMS. 

According to Indiana State Police Public Information Officer Carey Huls, the Salem Police Department had received a call from a citizen about a ‘suspicious person’ at the Washington County Fairgrounds. 

An unnamed male suspect was shot and killed today by a Salem Police Officer while investigating this “suspicious” person. 

Not many details have been released, but WSLM has learned that two SPD officers responded.

Hulls did not name them or which one shot the suspect.

He said this afternoon that when the officers arrived, the person was not immediately located. 

“When officers arrived they didn’t initially locate him. They did locate him along the creek. At some point, the officer did feel the need to fear for his life,” said Huls.

“[He] had to use his weapon and to fire an indeterminate amount of shots. The subject was struck and killed. So at this time, we know we have a male subject pronounced dead at the scene by the Washington County Coroner’s officer,” Huls said. 

The area taped off by police is the rear “pit” area of the Fairgrounds race track, known as Thunder Valley Raceway. 

Huls noted that police were still on the scene at 3p. The Coroner, Prosecutor Dustin Houchin and Sheriff Brent Miller were on scene along with other officers. 

Huls said he did not know how many shots were fired or if more than one officer fired shots. 

Huls said there was no information on where the suspect was from or who reported him to the police. 

There was not a vehicle nearby belonging to the suspect. 

“The only information I know is [the caller] observed the individual. For whatever reason the individual was suspicious and they needed to call the police. [They] believed the police needed to be called based on the subject’s actions that he saw at that time,” said Huls.

The caller has not been identified.

The Salem Police Department referred questions to ISP regarding the time of the original call and the time the police were dispatched out to investigate. 

ISP did not have information on those questions. 

The Washington County EMS was toned out at 1:59p to respond to the shooting at the fairgrounds. 

“It’s not uncommon to see kids walking along the streets,” Huls noted. “There is a creek back there…..it is rural but at the same time it’s not unusual to see someone walking back there.”

According to Steve Leonard, manager of Thunder Valley Raceway, it doesn’t appear anything at this point has been stolen. 

He did say there was a theft last year at the track. 

Huls said he also did not know if Salem Police Department used body cams. 

According to Washington County Clerk Stephanie Rockey, the Democratic party has filled three ballot vacancies for the 2019 Municipal General election.  

Last week filings were:

• Richard Longworth, City Council- Dist. 1
• Kevin Stewart- City Clerk-Treasurer

Longworth ran in the spring election for Mayor against William “Bill” Ackerman. Ackerman defeated Longworth 124 to 49 to win the Democrat nomination to run for Mayor in the fall against Justin Greene. 

Both have been processed and certified.

Stewart will face Republican Incumbent Sally Hattabaugh in November. 

Longworth will be challenging Republican Incumbent Dan Libka. 

In late May, Anthony Scifres was appointed to fill Wally Terkhorn’s office vacancy after Terkorn’s death.

At that point, Rockey said, Scifres was was appointed to fill the ballot vacancy for City Council, Dist. 4- Dem. for the General Election. 

The Indiana State Police is on the scene at the Washington County Fairgrounds investigating a shooting this afternoon where a City of Salem Police Officer has shot and killed a male suspect near the Washington County Fairgrounds.

The incident occurred around 2p this afternoon.

According to ISP Sgt. Carey Huls, the name of the victim hasn’t been released.

Huls also did not release the name of the officer but did say the officer was safe and unharmed.

Huls hasn’t released additional details as to what type of investigation was going on when the shooting occurred.

Huls said the shooting occurred near the creek at the back of the fairgrounds.

Stay tuned to WSLM for additional details.