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Last updated on Friday, July 6, 2012
(OWENSBURG) - 25-year-old Michael Lane Jr., died of a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to Green County coroner Sherry Wilson. That shot was fired by a law enforcement officer.
Lane's autopsy was conducted Thursday afternoon at Terre Haute Regional Hospital by forensic pathologist Dr. Roland Kohr.
Wilson ruled the death a homicide - meaning that someone else caused the death rather than it being self-inflicted. Wilson says the Indiana State Police do know which gun the shot came from.
Indiana State Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Curt Durnil says the ISP's investigation has yet to reveal which gun was used when Lane was shot, but was certain investigators would use the autopsy results to arrive at their conclusion.
The two Greene County Sheriff's Department deputies shot the morning of July 4th were responding to a domestic dispute. Both been released from the hospital.
Deputies James O'Malley and Brad Deckard both suffered gunshot wounds fired from a shotgun by Lane in a shoot-out that developed when they went to Lane's home, along State Road 45 South - one-fourth of a mile north of State Road 58, near Owensburg and the NSA Crane Bloomington Gate. Police had received a call of a domestic dispute. When the deputies arrived, the woman who had made the call had left the scene.
When officers arrived Lane opened fire. Officer returned fire.
"Troopers at the scene were eventually able to remove the deputies safely from the scene," says ISP Sgt. Curt Durnil. "Once the deputies were taken to an awaiting ambulance, a perimeter was established around the residence and the Indiana State Police Emergency Response Section (ERS) was called to the scene. The ERS team then utilized the Indiana State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team's Robot to make entry into the residence, where it found the male subject, Michael Lane Jr., of Owensburg, deceased."
His sister, Megan Lane and fiance Jessica Page, say he was high on drugs at the time of the shooting.
"There was a shootout this morning and my brother called me recently, that's why I'm here. He called me and told me he was dying. He said they had shot him in the chest and he did return fire back," says Megan Lane, Lane Jr.'s sister.
His fiance also heard from him during the shootout.
"I was on the phone when he went down, his heartbeat was the last thing I heard from him on the phone, and I kept calling for him and telling him that I love him, but I never got a response," says Jessica Page, Lane Jr.'s fiance.
Greene County Sheriff Terry Pierce says both deputies were shot in the shoulder area while O'Malley also suffered a shotgun pellet wound in his leg.
Deckard was treated in the emergency room and then released. O'Malley was kept overnight, but released on Thursday.
The investigation is on-going by ISP.
"Bloomington ISP Criminal Investigation Division Detectives are still gathering information, evidence, witness and officer statements," Durnil added.
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