Chase in Lake County ends in officer-involved shooting

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. – A trooper was involved in a shooting on Monday following a pursuit in Lake County, Indiana State Police announced.

Just after 3 p.m., state troopers received a report of a possible theft in Homewood, Illinois.

While looking for the suspect, the Porter Police Department got a call that a man, later identified as 18-year-old Rashawn Thompson of Chicago, got out of a 2010 Chevrolet Impala and stole a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu from a woman at gunpoint, according to reports.

Indiana State Police then got a call about a shooting that occurred between two vehicles traveling west on I-80, near mile-marker 9.

Deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department found the Malibu and the Impala on Cline Avenue near 45th Street.

The Impala was driven by 21-year-old Tyzerrick Smith of Chicago.

Deputies initiated a traffic stop on both vehicles but the two continued north on Cline, reports said.

State troopers joined the chase shortly after.

Smith drove over a curb, disabling the vehicle. He stopped the vehicle near Ridge Road.

Smith was safety taken into custody and taken to the Lake County Jail.

State troopers and Lake County deputies continued to chase Thompson in the Malibu onto I-80 westbound from Cline to Indianapolis Boulevard.

The Malibu exited onto Indianapolis Boulevard and reentered I-80 eastbound.

The vehicle then got off I-80 and onto Cline Avenue.

The Malibu and a state trooper vehicle collided just north of I-80.

Thompson lost control and hit a concrete barrier, disabling the vehicle.

Thompson got out of the vehicle with a firearm and a state trooper fired his duty pistol at him, reports said.

Thompson jumped off Cline, which is a 30-foot bridge embankment.

He was given medical aid and flown to a Chicago-area hospital. His condition is unknown.

The officer-involved shooting and the shooting on I-80 near mile-marker 9 are still being investigated.

Share this article: