A fugitive who fled from a Starke County Sheriff’s Deputy after a traffic stop yesterday caused the confusion about whether Knox High School was on lockdown.
The officer pulled over a vehicle driven by wanted fugitive Bille “Tinker” Minix, 53, of Winamac, on350 East just north of 200 South. Minix fled into the woods north of the cemetery behind Knox High School, according to a sheriff’s office news release. Chief Detective Rob Olejniczak and K9 Terror were called to track him down. Meanwhile, sheriff’s officials requested the school delay their summer school bus pickup schedules. Superintendent A.J. Gappa tells WKVI News that wasn’t necessary because they got a second call giving the all-clear and saying the threat was resolved. Terror found Minix, and officers reportedly found synthetic marijuana near where he was hiding. Minix is charged with resisting law enforcement and possession of a synthetic drug. The Knox, Hamlet and North Judson Police Departments assisted in the search.
