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Trooper cleared in death of man shot in Montgomery County

Posted at 5:13 PM, Mar 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-06 17:33:43-05

CRAWFORDSVILLE — An Indiana State Trooper has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of a man along U.S. 231 in Montgomery County last December.

Trooper Daniel Organ shot Glenn Rightsell on December 28 along the highway in Montgomery County, north of Crawfordsville.

Prosecutor Joseph Buser concluded Trooper Organ believed a gun was being drawn on him by the 56-year-old Rightsell, who was from Linden, Indiana.

Buser says he based his decision on interviews with Organ and other officers, drivers who passed the scene and by Rightsell’s wife.

The prosecutor also interviewed a man who lives along 231 and recorded video of the incident from his front porch.

Buser explained his decision in a press release issued by his office.

To read his statement, click here.

The shooting took place when the trooper was investigating a vehicle parked in front of an abandoned SUV.

Rightsell’s relatives said he always carried a gun on his belt and was working on his daughter’s stalled vehicle.