SPENCER — A welfare check escalated into a violent, hours-long standoff Friday afternoon, leaving an Owen County sheriff’s deputy hospitalized and a 58-year-old suspect in custody.
The incident began around 3:30 p.m. on June 12, 2026, in the 4000 block of Texas Pike, near Manhattan Road, roughly two miles north of Spencer. According to the Indiana State Police (ISP), the Owen County Probation Department had requested a welfare check on Wendell L. Hart after he failed to show up for a scheduled appointment earlier that morning.
When the initial Owen County deputy arrived at Hart’s residence, the situation immediately turned hostile as shots were fired toward the officer. The deputy quickly retreated and called for backup.
As secondary units arrived on the scene, Hart allegedly opened fire on them a second time. During this second volley of gunfire, Sgt. Detective Nathan Martin, who has been with the Owen County Sheriff’s Department for nearly 12 years, was struck by a bullet. Officers returned fire, prompting Hart to retreat and barricade himself inside the home.
Sgt. Detective Nathan Martin was rushed from the immediate danger zone to a secondary location, where an air ambulance flew him to a hospital in Indianapolis.
State police reported that the deputy underwent treatment and is currently listed in stable condition.
Mass Emergency Response and Standoff
The active shooter situation triggered an immediate, massive law enforcement response. The Owen County Sheriff’s Office issued an emergency alert on social media advising area residents to lock their doors and report any suspicious activity.
“When an officer’s out working and they hear that shots have been fired at a police officer, anyone and everyone is coming,” said ISP Sergeant Matt Ames. Personnel from the Spencer Police Department, Indiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rushed to the scene to establish a perimeter.
An ISP helicopter was deployed to provide aerial surveillance, tracking whether Hart would attempt to flee into the surrounding wooded areas. Concurrently, the Indiana State Police SWAT team and professional hostage negotiators were activated.
Following approximately two hours of tense negotiations, Hart willingly surrendered and was taken into custody by SWAT operators. Emergency medical technicians provided immediate on-scene aid to Hart, who was then transported to a hospital in Bloomington for unspecified injuries sustained during the firefight. Hart was then flown to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further treatment.
ISP Crime Scene Investigators remain at the property gathering evidence. Sgt. Ames noted that ballistics testing will be conducted on all weapons recovered from the home, as well as the firearms of any officers who discharged their weapons during the exchange.
“This is a very serious situation,” Sgt. Ames said in an address to the community. “Any time that we’re putting our uniform on, we know that we’re putting ourselves in harm’s way for the public. What we ask now is for the public just to take a moment of silence, say a little bit of a prayer for the deputy, and ask for a speedy recovery.”
Detectives from the ISP Bloomington Post are leading the ongoing investigation at the request of Owen County Sheriff Ryan White. Once the inquiry concludes, the complete case file will be forwarded to the Owen County Prosecutor’s Office to determine formal criminal charges.
You can find more broadcast details on the multi-agency response to the shooting from WISH-TV’s report on the Owen County Deputy Shooting, which features on-scene footage and local interviews regarding the standoff.
