There’s new information about the officer-involved shooting late Tuesday afternoon in North Judson.
Officers from the North Judson Police Department and Starke County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic violence call in the 5000 block of 800 West around 11:45 a.m. The suspect, 29-year-old Richard Joseph Benwell of North Judson, came out of the residence and refused to follow commands from the officers. That’s according to an Indiana State Police detective who was assigned to the case.
His report indicates Benwell tried to go back into the house and was stopped. That’s when a fight ensued, during which one officer’s gun went off twice but did not hit anyone. Benwell was also tased numerous times to no avail, according to the report. That’s when he was shot once. An ambulance was dispatched immediately, and MedFlight was requested. The helicopter landed at North Judson-San Pierre High School and took Benwell to South Bend. His injuries have been described as non-life threatening. However, the hospital does not have a patient by that name in their directory.
The names of the officers involved in the incident have not yet been released. Once the ISP investigation is complete, all reports will be submitted to the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office for full review. Officials note this could take several weeks.
