WABASH, Ind. — A 32-year-old dad has died after being shot by police nearly three weeks ago.
William L. Sendelbach had been facing one murder charge and two attempted murder charges stemming from the Oct. 8 incident that left his son dead and a Wabash City Police officer injured.
Wabash police responded to a home for a domestic incident around 7 a.m. on Oct. 8. When they got there, Sendelbach was outside the home with a gun. He fired multiple shots at officers. One of them hit Sgt. Nick Brubaker, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Police returned fire and shot Sendelbach. He was taken to the hospital, but officials did not give an update on his condition. On Monday, the Wabash County Prosecutor's Office confirmed Sendelbach died at a Fort Wayne hospital on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Sendelbach's wife and two of their children were able to get out of the house before he hurt them, but not before he stabbed his oldest son, 10-year-old Kayden, multiple times. He was flown to Riley Hospital for Children, but died on the morning of Oct. 10.
Court documents show Sendelbach stabbed his son in the head while his wife was on the phone with Sendelbach's mother, trying to arrange childcare. His wife told police she didn't know why he did it, and would have never expected him to do something like that.
Sendelbach had been charged with his son's murder, the attempted murder of Sgt. Brubaker, and the attempted murder of a truck driver named Ralph Noirot. Prosecutors said Sendelbach fired shots into the trash truck Noirot was driving. The window to Noirot's truck was shot out, but he was not injured. Court documents indicate Sendelbach also fired into another vehicle in the neighborhood, but no one was inside.
Prosecutors were pursuing a life sentence without parole in Kayden's murder. They announced Monday, with Sendelbach's, the charges would be dropped.
The prosecutor announced Monday that officers were justified when they returned gunfire at Sendelbach. They will not face any criminal charges.
Sgt. Brubaker has recovered from his injuries and returned to duty.
