(BROWNSTOWN) – Authorities say the chief and assistant chief at a southern Indiana police department were justified in using deadly force in the fatal shooting of a 53-year-old man during a domestic dispute.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant on Monday released the results of an investigation into the April 3 incident in Brownstown.
53-year-old Barry Rucker of Brownstown was shot while resisting arrest outside the city’s police department.
The officers and others who responded gave first aid to Rucker. He was taken to Schneck Medical Center. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The investigation showed Rucker was threatening an ex-girlfriend at gunpoint when someone called 911. Police said Chief Tom Hanner and Assistant Chief Joe Kelly arrived and tried to subdue Rucker with a stun gun, but that didn’t work. Rucker was shot after pointing a handgun at Hanner and refusing commands to drop the weapon.
Chief Tom Hanner and Assistance Chief Joe Kelly were placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard protocol after the shooting.
Rucker has a record of domestic violence. According to court records, he had a pending case in Jackson Circuit Court on felony charges of domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon and intimidation. He was arrested on those charges after a woman said Rucker hit her and cut her with a machete at his home.
