Indiana police officer found dead in patrol car

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) — A police officer has been found dead inside his patrol car in northwestern Indiana.

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., says the officer was a 51-year-old veteran of the sheriff’s department.

The man’s identity and cause of death have not been released.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports the officer’s body was found Friday at 4:30 p.m. outside a Lake County courthouse in East Chicago. A civilian employee discovered the officer inside his squad car in the parking lot.