Lafayette, IN – Police have released preliminary information after a man died in an officer-involved shooting early Friday morning on the city’s south side. The incident followed a late-night traffic stop involving suspected impaired driving, according to the Lafayette Police Department.
At approximately 12:25 a.m., an officer stopped a vehicle near South Street and Sagamore Parkway. During the encounter, police say the male driver made statements suggesting he might harm himself, then fled the scene in his vehicle. In keeping with department policy, officers did not initiate a pursuit.
LPD units later located the suspect’s vehicle just after 1:16 a.m. on Frontage Road, where it was seen entering the Waterford Court Apartments complex. Troopers with the Indiana State Police also responded to assist.
According to the department, the man parked in the 200 block of Porsche Lane East. Officers confronted him, but he was reportedly non-compliant with verbal commands and claimed he had a weapon. Police say the man then moved his hand toward his waistband “as if preparing to brandish a weapon,” leading to the officer-involved shooting.
Officers rendered medical aid immediately, but the man died at the scene. Police noted that no civilians or officers were injured and that no other occupants were inside the vehicle.
Per protocol, the involved officers have been placed on administrative leave while the Lafayette Police Department and Indiana State Police continue the investigation.
The identity of the deceased man is being withheld pending confirmation and next-of-kin notification by the Tippecanoe County Coroner.
This remains an active and ongoing case.
