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Trooper who shot, killed man near Crawfordsville is put on desk duty

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) – The Indiana State Police trooper who shot and killed a Linden man nearly two weeks ago near Crawfordsville has been taken off administrative leave and put back to work. 

Trooper Daniel Organ, who had been a patrol officer, has been put on desk duty at the Lafayette post, state police said Wednesday. He will remain on desk duty until an investigation into the fatal shooting in completed.

On Jan. 2, state police said Organ was on administrative leave. The agency also noted Organ had no previous disciplinary record before the Crawwfordsville shooting.

The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. Dec. 28 on U.S. 231 near Montgomery County Road 550 North. That’s near North Montgomery High School. 

The family of 56-year-old Glenn Rightsell, of Linden, said he was working on his daughter’s car, which had broken down along the side of a rural state road earlier in the day, when he was shot. 

State police said Organ had tagged the abandoned black Chevrolet Tahoe SUV shortly before 4 p.m. Dec. 28 on U.S. 231. 

Organ was driving on the same highway around 6:30 p.m. Dec. 28 and noticed a white Dodge car had pulled up in front of the Tahoe and had the hood open. 

According to state police, the trooper reportedly walked up to Rightsell while giving commands and Rightsell allegedly grabbed the gun that Rightsell had on his waist. 

The trooper shot Rightsell at least once, state police said. 

On Dec. 29, Ken Steen shared cellphone video with News 8 that shows the moments following the shooting. 

State police have said they will not talk further about the ongoing investigation but will send the results of it to Montgomery County Proseuctor Joseph R. Buser. 

Trooper Organ was mentioned in a News 8 story about 33 new troopers graduating in October 2017.

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