ABC57 breaks down what led to the shooting of an ISP trooper Friday, and covers the aftermath

Yesterday evening, a Ford dealership in Michigan City, Indiana reported a truck stolen, a silver F-150, by a man who took the vehicle for a test drive and never returned. 

THE START OF THE CHASE reporting by Annie Kate

A source told ABC57 that the suspect came to the dealership Thursday before noon and ended up taking a silver Ford F-150 for a test drive by himself, then never brought it back. It was reported stolen hours later. 

According to the Berrien County Sheriff's Office, this morning, the suspect was spotted at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan by officers from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Tribal Police. He was attempting to steal another license plate and swap it with the one on the stolen F-150.

It was after Meyer was approached by law enforcement that he fled, and the pursuit began.

ABC57's interview request at Michigan City Ford was declined.

AT THE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING reporting by Leo Goldman

Around 5:30 a.m. Friday morning, the Berrien County sheriffs' department was alerted to a stolen silver Ford F-150 fleeing police and began chasing the speeding vehicle. Eventually they were assisted by multiple agencies, including Indiana State Troopers. That pursuit led officers back and forth over state lines, and eventually to La Porte County, where the situation escalated.

The suspect shot an Indiana State Trooper multiple times at a Speedway gas station in Michigan City, after the lengthy police chase ended in a crash there.

“There was a collision between the suspect and our trooper, the suspect proceeded to shoot at our trooper, and our trooper sustained multiple gunshot wounds,” said ISP sergeant Glen Fifield.

THE MANHUNT AND A DEAD SUSPECT reporting by Zakiya Jennings

After the shooting, the suspect fled- again. By this time, multiple agencies had been alerted, and police eventually tracked the suspect, identified as Kevin Ward Myers, to near where he is believed to have lived.

At approximately 9:16 a.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s helicopter located the Ford F‑150 concealed in a tree line in the 7500 block of Joliet Road in rural La Porte County, just outside Westville. Neighbors were warned to leave the area or shelter in place inside their homes. 

As additional officers moved in, gunfire was heard coming from a nearby cornfield. An armored vehicle, and dozens of armed officers moved in on Myer's suspected location. No officers were injured at that time.

The body of Myers was found dead in the cornfield, with multiple gunshot wounds, with what looked like an automatic weapon near the body. Officials will not confirm the shots were self-inflicted, and cause of death will be determined by the La Porte County Coroner. 

MYER'S CRIMINAL HISTORY reporting by Zakiya Jennings

After the scene was secured, the body removed, and the police presence started to lessen, ABC57 reporter Zakiya Jennings was able to speak to some neighbors who knew the man.

The neighbors report that Myers was polite and had grown up in the area, but was known to have a substantial criminal history, including a prison stint in Florida, time served here in Indiana, and even a previous incident fleeing from police.

That incident occurred in 2019, and ended with a crash in North Liberty, Indiana, burnt-out vehicles, and a gunshot wound to the leg for the suspect. At that time, he ended up losing the injured leg, attempted to sue officials, but had the case thrown out.

Officials confirm that there was also an active warrant for Myers in La Porte County, for a separate incident

THE INJURED TROOPER AND THE PRESS CONFERENCE reporting by Leo Goldman

The injured State Tropper has been identified as Sgt. Justin Heflin, a 12‑year veteran of the Indiana State Police who also served in the United States Marine Corps. Sgt. Heflin sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

After receiving initial treatment at Franciscan Health, he was transferred to South Bend, where he underwent successful surgery. 

Sgt. Glen Fifield with ISP says the trooper is being treated at South Bend Memorial Hospital and is awake and in good spirits.  

Fifield continued, “A traffic stop, in general, is one of the most dangerous things that we do, because we're walking up to the unknown. Every traffic stop, whether it's a trooper or a local department or a sheriff's department, every time an officer walks up to a car at a traffic stop, it's a dangerous situation because you're walking into the unknown,” said Fifield. 

He noted that today's incident is the third time a law enforcement officer has been shot in Northwest Indiana this year. 

“A La Porte County sheriff's deputy was shot a half a mile from here at the hospital, and then we had our trooper shot on I-94, in Lake County, and now out here today. We're hurting as a profession, but this is something that we work through, unfortunately these things happen, this is a tragedy, these are hard times,” said Fifield.