GREENFIELD, Ind. — The Hancock County prosecutor determined Friday that a deadly shooting involving Greenfield police officers in July was legally justified.
Prosecutor Brent Eaton reviewed an investigation by Indiana State Police into the July 31 shooting death of 56-year-old Darrin Baker of Indianapolis before making his decision.
(NOTE: The video in the player above is a report from the day of the officer-involved shooting.)
“There is no need to continue this investigation,” Eaton said. “It is unfortunate that a life was lost. The evidence clearly indicates that Mr. Baker was in the process of taking a life when he was stopped by a police officer.”
Police responded to a report of a "domestic issue" on Bobtail Drive east of Greenfield around 8:45 a.m. on July 31. There had reportedly been gunshots fired at the scene.
Investigators say 56-year-old Darrin Baker, of Indianapolis, was outside a home in the area when a woman he knew pulled up in a car. Baker is accused of shooting through the driver's side window of the woman's car and then "forcibly" removing her from the car before taking her inside the home, ISP said.
Officers at the scene saw the broken car window and the open garage door and entered the home, announcing their presence as they walked in. At that time, investigators say the officers heard a woman scream "He has a gun!" repeatedly and saw Baker, who had a handgun, "actively assaulting" the woman.
That's when Greenfield Police Senior Patrolman Jarrod Davis shot Baker after several commands for the suspect to drop his gun, which was pointed toward the head and upper body of the female.
Police said officers then rendered first aid to Baker and called for an ambulance, but he died a short time later.
Investigators determined Baker's gun was fired three times at the residence - the shot that broke the driver's side window of the victim's car, one into the ground near the victim's head and another into a wall behind where the struggle took place.
“All the evidence points to the fact that Baker intended to kill his victim and was in fact attempting to do so when officers intervened," Eaton said in a release.