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Montgomery County records 5th police shooting since September

UPDATE: This story originally read that three officer-involved shootings have occurred in Montgomery County since December 2018. It has been updated to reflect that five have occurred since September 2018.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A man was hospitalized early Friday in Indianapolis after a police shooting Thursday night in Montgomery County, Indiana State Police said. 

It was the fifth police shooting since September 2018 in the central Indiana county northwest of Indianapolis.

Joshua S. Brown, 41 of Crawfordsville, was identified Friday by state police as the man who was shot in the head.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center told News 8’s newsgathering partner WLFI that the incident happened at 8:10 p.m. Thursday at 150 Banjo Drive. That’s in a commercial area about a mile east of Crawfordsville on State Road 32. 

The suspect was taken to Franciscan Health Crawfordsville hospital, but later was moved to St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, said a news release from state police. He remained at the Indianapolis hospital on Friday afternoon. 

Crawfordsville Police Department tried to stop a Jeep Cherokee for a traffic violation in the 2000 block of Lebanon Road, also known as State Road 32. The release said the vehicle did not stop until it reached Banjo Drive and the parking lot of Banjo Corp., which manufactures liquid-handling products.

The police began giving the suspect commands at the Banjo Corp. parking lot. The suspect then reportedly brandished a firearm toward officers, and one of the officers fired at the suspect in self-defense, the news release said.

No one else was hurt in the shooting.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department and the Prosecutor’s Office were also at the shooting scene, state police said.

Police said the business remained open as the shooting investigation went on in the parking lot. 

Another police shooting happened last week in Crawfordsville.

On May 22, Lucas Anderson, 36, was shot in the face by a Crawfordsville Police Department officer about 1 a.m. at Anderson’s home in the 300 block of Walnut Street. Indiana State Police said the officer shot Anderson in self-defense. 

Anderson’s injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. He was charged with domestic battery and strangulation. His trial is set for Aug. 20. 

On April 3. Matthew Olsen was struck during a shootout with SWAT officers. Montgomery County deputies were attempting to arrest him on a warrant at a home near the Montgomery County/Putnam County border. No deputies were injured.

In another police shooting on Dec. 28, Glenn A. Rightsell, 56, of Linden, died at the Franciscan Health Crawfordsville hospital after he was shot Dec. 28 on U.S. 231 near Montgomery County Road 550 North. That’s near North Montgomery High School, about 15 miles south of Lafayette.

Last week, Rightsell’s wife filed a claim to sue Indiana State Police and other groups involved in the shooting.

On Sept. 23, 2018, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office shot a man described as drunk and disorderly that allegedly pointed a gun at family members and deputies.

Anyone with information on the shooting on Banjo Drive was asked to call Trooper Detective AJ Smith at the Indiana State Police post in Lafayette at 765-567-2125. The release said, “Your information can remain anonymous.”

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