What we know:
The shooting happened near a Speedway gas station at 2884 U.S. 421 in Michigan City.
Indiana State Police said the chase began around 5:30 a.m. when officers in Berrien County, Michigan, tried to stop a stolen silver Ford F-150. The suspect crossed into Indiana and got away.
A short time later, an Indiana State Police trooper found the truck on Interstate 94 and began chasing it before the two vehicles collided on U.S. 421.
Police said the suspect then opened fire on the trooper, and the trooper returned fire as the suspect drove away.
The trooper was struck multiple times during the exchange and was rushed to a local hospital. He is in stable condition, police said.
The suspect's vehicle was found around 9:16 a.m. in a tree line near Wozniak and Joliet roads in Westville, but the suspect remained at large, according to police.
Around 11 a.m., the suspect was found dead with injuries "consistent with gunshot wounds," state police said.
Residents in the area were urged to stay indoors and report anything suspicious, as about 100 officers were searching for the suspect and believed the person was hiding in a wooded area. Authorities also said additional gunshots were fired in the area during the search.
Late Friday afternoon, Indiana State Police identified the suspect as 54-year-old Kevin Meyers of LaPorte, Indiana. The injured trooper was identified as Sgt. Justin Heflin, a 12-year veteran of the Indiana State Police.
Sgt. Justin Heflin, a 12-year veteran of the Indiana State Police.
What they're saying:
A witness reported hearing several shots and saw additional officers arrive within seconds to provide aid to the wounded trooper.
A man who witnessed the shooting of an Indiana State Police trooper called into Fox Chicago tell us how it all unfolded.
According to Robert Pahs, the gunman was driving a white truck and ran a red light shortly before shots rang out.
"I thought it was going to be a routine pull over and as I'm literally 20 seconds behind him, I heard this like crinkling sound, like click click click, and what I didn't realize after I pulled into there and I pulled around, the cop — because the truck already left — he was shot. And I could smell the gunfire literally from the bullets," said Pahs. "I just pray that he's okay. And this is the second shooting that we've had in our area in the last what? Two months or so, three months."
What's next:
Authorities said Heflin was treated at Franciscan Health before being transferred to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, where he underwent surgery.
He remains in stable condition and is surrounded by his family.
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