Neighborhood backhoe rampage ends in deadly shootout with police, Indiana cops say

A man was killed early Sunday during a shootout with police after tearing through an Indiana neighborhood on a backhoe, police say.

Police responded to a call in a Huntington neighborhood just after 3:30 a.m. and discovered a man in a “backhoe-style piece of machinery” destroying property, Indiana State Police said in a news release.

The driver led police on a chase through the area — near elementary and middle schools — continuing to tear up public and private property along the way, according to officials.

The chase lasted between 15 and 20 minutes, WANE reported.

During the pursuit, “an exchange of gunfire” erupted, police said, killing the man on the backhoe and injuring an officer.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the officer was transported to an area hospital. He is in “serious but stable” condition, police said.

No one else was injured.

Indiana State Police are investigating the incident at the request of the Huntington Police Department.

The man’s name will be released after his family is notified and the coroner’s office has concluded its investigation, police said.

The officers involved won’t be named until the county prosecutor reviews the completed investigation’s findings and authorizes the release of their names.

“This is an active and ongoing criminal investigation by the Indiana State Police,” the agency said. “Once the criminal investigation is complete, the investigation will be turned over to the Huntington County Prosecutor for review and determination of charges, if any, to be filed.”

Huntington is roughly 25 miles southwest of Fort Wayne.

This story was originally published December 13, 2020 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Neighborhood backhoe rampage ends in deadly shootout with police, Indiana cops say."