CRIME

Indiana excise police officer, driver exchange gunfire in South Bend

Marek Mazurek
South Bend Tribune
Indiana State Excise Police logo. Photo provided

SOUTH BEND — Officials are investigating a Thursday night exchange of gunfire on the northeast side of South Bend between an Indiana State Excise Police officer and a person the trooper was following.

There were no reported injuries, state police said in a release, and the shooting started around 9:30 p.m. near the intersection of North Jacobs Street and Rockne Drive when the individual got out of their car and began firing at the trooper's unmarked vehicle.

The trooper shot back as the person ran and got back into their car to drive away. It's unclear if the individual was hit, police say.

The state's excise police typically enforce regulations from the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in addition to performing duties similar to other police agencies. Members of the state police's Bremen post are investigating the incident and will forward their findings to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's office once completed, the release said.

Police say the excise officer was working a "special detail" around local convenience stores and began following a late 1990s or early 2000s model Honda Civic going northeast on Rockne. When the silver Civic approached North Jacobs Street, the driver stopped in the road, got out of the car and started shooting at the trooper's car. The person fired "multiple shots," police say, and the officer returned fire.

Niles homicides:Residents feel unsafe after string of connected shootings

The person "briefly fled on foot" before getting back into their car and speeding off. The trooper didn't pursue the suspect's vehicle after the exchange, police say, and the individual has not been detained as of Thursday morning.

It is unclear why the excise trooper began following the Civic or if the officer tried to identify themselves before being shot at. An ISP spokesman did not immediately return a phone call seeking additional information about the incident Friday morning, but this story will be updated if he does.

Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek