Suspect dead after officer involved shooting in Muncie
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) – One person is dead after officers with the Muncie Police Department were involved in a police action shooting on Monday afternoon.
Investigators say that parole agents were attempting to serve a warrant on Shawn Ruble in the 2100 block of South Pershing Street in Muncie just after noon.
Ruble was wanted for questioning regarding an alleged auto theft in Hartford City.
Information was received that Ruble was at a residence at Pershing Street. While talking to the resident, agents witnessed Ruble climb out of a rear window.
Investigators said that Ruble drew a gun and fled into a garage on the property.
Muncie police and SWAT teams were then dispatched to the residence.
While negotiators were speaking with Ruble, he said “I’m not coming out. It’s not going to be easy. I’ve been in trouble for over 25 years and I’m not going back to jail. This is not going to end good. I have a 40 caliber and 32 rounds. Either they’re going to shoot me or I’m going to shoot myself or I’m going to shoot them. I see an officer lying on the ground with an AR 15 and I’m dialed in on him.”
Later, Ruble allegedly said “I’m up here with two gallons of gasoline and I’ve already doused myself with it and if they come in here it’s not going to end good.”
Investigators say that Ruble then pointed a handgun through a window in the garage, then started a fire inside.
Ruble then jumped from the second story of the garage and pointed a handgun at Muncie police officers.
Two Muncie officers then shot at and struck Ruble. Ruble was taken to IU Ball Memorial Hospital where he later died.
Hope Hansen lives in the house and didn’t know Ruble had a gun, but says she still can’t believe how it all turned out.
“I’ve known Shawn for about four months. He can be hard-nosed but he can also be soft-hearted,” she said, “And I mean it’s crazy. It shouldn’t have gone down this way, now the man is dead.”
But it’s events like this on the block that are forcing neighbor Tabitha Polson to move.
“They just busted a meth lab down the street,” Polson said. “It’s just too much, there’s just too much going on. That’s why I want to move. I’m not raising my grandkids here.”
MPD and Indiana State Police are continuing the investigation.
