Deadly police chase involving rookie Henry County Sheriff’s deputy was unsupervised

HENRY COUNTY, Ind. — One person died in a police chase that started in Henry County and ended near Ball State University via high-speed collision last month.

A review of the incident by FOX59 and CBS4 found that the pursuit was missing a key public safety component — supervision.

The pursuit was called in over police radio by Henry County Sheriff’s Deputy Tanner Strelecky around 6 a.m. Moments before the chase began, Strelecky had called in “10-42,” which is how police announce the end of a work shift.

Strelecky was still in uniform driving his assigned car in the northern end of Henry County seven minutes later when he called in, “I’m gonna be Signal 27 (performing a vehicle stop) on a vehicle.”

The vehicle being pursued did not stop, and both vehicles quickly crossed the county’s northern border.

FIRST-YEAR DEPUTY

Strelecky was hired by Henry County Sheriff John Sproles in July 2023. He had no prior law enforcement experience.

Indiana law requires only that a new officer complete a 40-hour training course before being hired.

After joining the force, Strelecky went through additional departmental and field training that ended last October. Sproles said the training totaled 588 hours.

What Strelecky did not have at the time of the pursuit was the weeks-long training the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy provides. He started at the academy on April 29 ^th .

HEADING NORTH

Strelecky radioed, “I’m on State Route 3, Delaware County, about a mile north of the county line … possible 10-55 (possible intoxicated driver). Can you start another unit my way please?”

To assist backup units headed his way to join the pursuit, Strelecky regularly gave his location and provided a description of the suspect vehicle, “State Route 3. South in Delaware County. Headed northbound. They’re swerving all over the roadway. A gray sedan. Ohio Plate. King-Adam-Young 6-6-6-0.”

The description was close. The vehicle was a silver Dodge Dart with an Ohio license plate of KAV-6660. It would seemingly be enough to get the attention of other law enforcement officers.

State Route 3 through southern Delaware County is a divided four-lane roadway with a posted speed limit of 60 mph that rolls through largely rural countryside.

Traffic was light, although the speeds were well over the limit.

“Currently, 80 miles an hour. Only one other vehicle in the area,” Strelecky said over the radio.

Seconds later, the deputy updated with, “Driving in the middle of the roadway, 90 miles an hour.”

RACING INTO MUNCIE

After a quick six miles, the pursuit was about to become more dangerous as the two cars sped under the Muncie Bypass, where State Route 3 becomes South Macedonia Avenue in Muncie.

The street drops down to just two lanes. A portion of it runs through a residential neighborhood. The posted speed limit quickly drops from 40 to 30 to 20 as it passes by two schools.

Strelecky broke in over the radio with, “We’re in heavy traffic, excess of 90 miles an hour.”

In rapid succession over the next 90 seconds, Strelecky reports, “Just ran a red light.”

Followed by, “Almost caused a 10-50 (vehicle crash).”

Then, “They’re going at a high rate of speed. They just ran another red light.”

At this point, an unidentified male voice is heard on the police radio, “Is Muncie (Police) there encountering the pursuit?”

Strelecky replied that he had not seen them.

WRONG DIRECTION

Police assistance in the pursuit was about to get confusing.

Strelecky got his directions wrong. When he announced, “We’re east on Ohio (Street)” he was actually traveling west. The error had units from the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office on the wrong side of the city as the pursuit was heading in the other direction.

Four minutes later, assistance was closing in. A deputy in Unit 19 from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office radioed, “There’s just a Muncie PD guy at Memorial and Madison. We’re on Jackson headed east towards Yorktown.”

After passing through the west side of Muncie, the pursuit banked east on McGalliard. That’s when Stelecky caught his directional mistake.

“He just ran a red light at Morrison,” Strelecky announced. “Still westbound. Eastbound! Eastbound.”

Seconds later, the chase was over, with Strelecky calling out, “Dispatch 10-50! Tillotson. Tillotson and McGalliard. 10-50. Start Medics.”

CRASH

According to the Muncie Police report on the incident, the driver of the suspect vehicle, Zacrey Antrim, swerved to avoid a vehicle in the left lane. He did not yield for a white Jeep Wrangler heading through the intersection.

The two vehicles collided. The driver of the Jeep was seriously injured. Antrim also sustained injures, but a passenger in Antrim’s car was killed.

Antrim faces eight criminal charges, six of them felonies, including resisting law enforcement causing death.

The initial Indiana State Police investigation into the pursuit found speeds reached 100 mph during the pursuit.

CHASE SUPERVISION

The Henry County pursuit that wound its way through a neighboring county and through city streets was unsupervised.

Sproles confirmed that fact in an email.

“Day shift Sgt. Blake Thrasher was on duty but not actively involved in the pursuit,” Sproles wrote. “Therefore, there was no reason for him to intervene on the radio.”

The sheriff also disclosed that his department’s pursuit policy aligns with the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy’s “Minimum Standards for Vehicle Pursuits.”

The ILEA’s chase standards document points to an important supervisory role in pursuits, “The decision to terminate a pursuit can be made by either the … officer or any supervisor.”

And the ILEA’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Manual, taught to officers at the academy, is more direct, noting that “all pursuits should be supervised.”

While refraining from comment on the Muncie chase, ILEA Executive Director Tim Horty provided this:

“Pursuits by their very nature are dangerous, and officers must always use due regard during all phases of them. When deciding to begin or terminate a pursuit, an officer and his/her supervisor must evaluate the risks to the public’s safety and ensure those risks don’t outweigh the need for immediate apprehension.”

ONGOING INVESTIGATION

Based on recorded police radio transmissions, court documents, curriculum materials from the ILEA, and additional information provided by Sproles, FOX59 and CBS4 concluded Strelecky was not afforded recommended supervision during April’s fatal high-speed crash.

Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman tells FOX59 and CBS4 that, when the crash investigation is completed, he will consider additional criminal charges. Hoffman said those considerations include whether or not he’ll seek charges against Strelecky.

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