Prosecutor: No charges against officers in hospital shooting case

Huntington County’s Prosecuting Attorney Amy C. Richison wrote Thursday that after reviewing the death investigation, which included reports from several officers on scene at the time of the incident, the officers were forced to defend themselves and others at the hospital when Raul Martinez III began shooting at officers before taking his own life.

Richison said no charges would be filed against the officers because they acted reasonably to defend themselves and others, citing Indiana law, I.C. 35-41-3-2(c).The following details from the incident were included in the prosecutor’s release:

On Dec. 18, Raul Martinez III called Huntington County Dispatch saying he had shot a woman in her upper thighs.

That woman was 18-year-old Destiney Shanks. Police reports indicate Martinez also attempted to sexually assault her. Shanks was able to convince Martinez to get her medical help and they went to the hospital.

During the multiple calls to 911, Martinez told dispatch he would be dead by the time police arrived at the hospital.

Martinez drove to the emergency entrance at the hospital and as Huntington County Officer Skyler Beard and Captain Thomas Emely moved to assist Shanks, Martinez got out of his vehicle. He opened fire on the officers.

Officer Beard returned fire twice and Captain Emely shot four times, hitting Martinez in the hip once.

During the exchange of gunfire, Martinez shot himself in the head, which caused his death.

The prosecutor said at the time Shanks was flown to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne in critical condition. She had two surgeries to repair her legs and is now home recovering from her injuries.

During the incident, Parkview Huntington was placed on lockdown.