ISP: North Vernon man arrested after reported exchange of gunfire with deputy
AUSTIN, Ind. (WISH) — A North Vernon man is in jail after state police say a Scott County sheriff’s deputy reported being fired upon and returned fire during a chase that began on an all-terrain vehicle early Sunday morning.
Todd Lacey, 52, is charged with resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, a level 6 felony, ISP said.
According to state police, a deputy saw Lacey turning east on State Road 256 from Terry Road on an ATV without stopping at a stop sign just before 6 a.m. When the deputy tried to stop Lacey, he drove into a nearby field and stopped abruptly. That’s when the deputy said he heard gunfire, started shooting his gun and hid behind a trailer home.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Department was unable to find Lacey near the ATV and asked for help from ISP, according to police.
Smoky, a police dog with the Indiana Conservation Officers, and his handler assisted a state trooper in finding Lacey in a wooded area just after 1 p.m. Sunday.
Lacey was taken to the Washington County Jail, where he remained Sunday afternoon, online jail records show.
Investigators didn’t find a weapon, but Lacey had ammunition with him when he was arrested, according to ISP.