Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker has determined that two Elkhart police officers were justified in fatally shooting a 17-year-old at the High Dive Park Pavillion in February.
Becker announced Thursday night that an investigation by the county’s homicide unit shows that officers Thomas Breneman and Nicholas Ragsdale acted within the law of self-defense.
Ragsdale had stopped to investigate when he saw a parked car running with five occupants in the park at 1:30 a.m. after it was closed. Ragsdale called for backup. As he was gathering ID’s and removing people from the back seat, Gomez, who had been sitting in the front passenger seat, suddenly got out of the car and fired a shot at Breneman. Breneman fired back, hitting Gomez with three shots. Ragsdale also tried firing at Gomez but his gun malfunctioned.
Becker said Ragsdale didn’t know it at the time but Gomez had given him a fake name. He was on probation after having been adjudicated delinquent for auto theft, resisting law enforcement and dangerous possession of a firearm.
Becker said, “Officers Ragsdale and Breneman were exceptionally proficient in recognizing the deadly threat, meeting it, and eliminating it.”
