PERU, Ind. -- Indiana State Police released the final details Wednesday of a six-month long investigation into the March 2016 death of Howard County Deputy Carl Koontz.
Koontz, 27, and Sgt. Jordan Buckley, 35, were shot by Evan Dorsey, 25, as the officers attempted to serve a search warrant on Dorsey's mobile home in Russiaville.
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Indiana State Police say Koontz, Buckley and three other officers forced their way into home shortly before 1 a.m. on March 16 after they tried knocking on the front door. Koontz and Buckley found Dorsey in a locked bedroom. They tried to enter the room and Dorsey fired at least nine shots, hitting Buckley and Koontz one time each.
Evidence indicates the deputies fired 16 rounds at Dorsey, but none of them struck him because he was behind a furnace.
The shooting lasted about 20 seconds and ended when officers dragged Deputy Koontz out of the trailer and gave him first aid. Sgt. Buckley was able to leave the trailer on his own. Dorsey died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.
ISP: Dorsey and his home were known to officers in the community @rtv6
— Katie Heinz (@katieheinz6) September 29, 2016
Sgt. Buckley was treated for a gunshot wound and has since returned to duty. Deputy Koontz was shot in the pelvis and did not survive.
Based upon information from the ISP investigation, Howard County Prosecutor Mark McCann determined that, “All officers involved acted lawfully, and were faithfully carrying out their duties as law enforcement officers.”
Video from a surveillance system Dorsey set up in his trailer showed drug trafficking going on for more than a week leading up to the night that the deputies were shot. Charges ranging from conspiracy to commit dealing meth to visiting a common nuisance were filed against nine people; six have been arrested. The investigation into the illegal drug activity is ongoing, said Prosecutor McCann.
Meth, heroin, marijuana, as well as several weapons retrieved from Dorsey's trailer @rtv6
— Katie Heinz (@katieheinz6) September 29, 2016
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The Howard County Sheriff says$1700 that was seized by Deputy Koontz during a traffic stop on the day he was killed is still missing. The money was documented, counted and retained by Koontz before he entered Dorsey's house. Days after the shooting, investigators realized the money was not in the evidence system and opened an investigation.
