THE LATEST (Photo updated at 1:40pm June 17th)
The fatal shooting of a black man by a South Bend police officer has triggered an independent investigation and prompted Mayor Pete Buttigieg to abruptly return from the campaign trail.
According to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office, a South Bend police officer shot 53-year-old Eric Logan early Sunday morning while responding to a call about a suspect stealing from cars. The prosecutor's office says Logan approached the officer with a raised knife.
At a press conference, Buttigieg and other city officials say they’re awaiting an independent investigation from the county’s homicide unit before releasing any specific information about the incident.
“In the meantime, I know that there is tremendous hurt that can come about. That the city will be hurting,” Buttigieg says.
Logan’s wife, Shafonia Logan, says she has doubts about what the prosecutor’s office says happened and wants to see justice.
“As long as we’ve been married and as long as I’ve been knowing him - over 30 something years - I’ve never seen him resist an officer," she says. "Never.”
The family announced a vigil will be held near the site of the shooting Monday night at 8 p.m.
Buttigieg also canceled a trip Monday to New York for an LGBTQ event according to the campaign.
You can watch the mayor's news conference here:
https://www.facebook.com/571337408/videos/10156269021652409/
NEW (10:33PM June 16th)
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg held a late night news conference, flanked by other city leaders, to address a shooting that happened early Sunday morning in which a South Bend Police officer shot a suspect and killed him.
The officer has not been named. The officer is on administrative leave.
An independent investigation and internal affairs investigation are planned to look in to the circumstances of the shooting and to make sure protocol was followed and that the use of force was justified.
Family members of the man who died, 53 year old Eric Logan of South Bend, are meeting behind closed doors with the police chief.
UPDATE:
Mayor Pete Buttigieg, South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski, Board of Public Safety President John Collins, Jr., and Common Council President Tim Scott will hold a press conference regarding today’s officer-involved shooting at 10:00 p.m. tonight in South Bend. WVPE will have a crew there and will provide the latest as it happens.
Meantime, the man who died has been identified and his family has been notified. He is Eric Jack Logan, 53 years old, of South Bend.
An autopsy has been scheduled for June 17th at 10:00 a.m. in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
ORIGINAL POST:
Following an officer involved shooting Sunday in South Bend, the St. Joseph Co. Metro Homicide Unit has issued the following release:
St. Joseph County –This morning shortly before 3:30 a.m., dispatch received a call regarding a suspicious individual allegedly going through cars. The South Bend Police Department was then dispatched to the 100 block of N. William.
A South Bend Police Officer responded and engaged a subject who was partially in a vehicle in the Central High School Apartments parking lot. The subject exited the vehicle and approached the officer with a knife raised. The officer reportedly discharged his service weapon, striking the subject.
The subject, who is in his 50’s, was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced deceased.
The officer was treated for minor injuries and discharged.
As this was an officer-involved shooting, the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit (CMHU) was activated, per protocol, to handle the investigation. This remains an active and ongoing investigation. At this time the names of the officer and the injured individual are being withheld but will be released as soon as we are able to do so.
