UPDATE:
Efrain Ramirez reached a plea agreement and was sentenced to three years of incarceration with a 199-day jail credit.
UPDATE:
Indiana State Police have identified the two officers involved in the shooting as ISP Sgt. Thomas Burgett and Dep. Steve Love of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
Per each agency’s policy, the officers involved have been placed on administrative duty.
The suspect remains in police custody at a local hospital in stable condition.
ORIGINAL STORY:
BARGERSVILLE, Ind. — Bargersville police say the subject of a search has been shot by police.
Police were looking for the man Friday morning after they say he had run off from officers during a traffic stop and displayed a firearm the night before. He is now being identified as 44-year-old Efrain Perez-Ramirez.
Officials say he was spotted again around 7:45 a.m. in the area of Old Trail and Three Notch.
The neighborhood had been on alert through the night. One neighbor we spoke with says Perez-Ramirez attempted to blend in while on his property. We heard police questioning the resident about the incident. He says Perez-Ramirez stole a rake from another property, and began raking the leaves in his yard to make it look like it was his home.
“Definitely a dead giveaway that there was something suspicious going on,” says Mike Pruitt, who not only lives in the neighborhood, but is also the Bargersville Deputy Fire Chief, “As much as I am sure the homeowner appreciates raking leaves, it was definitely a little odd for that to be happening. Everyone in the community is pretty vigilant about reporting things to the police when things seem to be out of sorts.”
Police say they found Perez-Ramirez at or near a home in the area. They say the he pulled a weapon on an officer, and was then shot multiple times in response by an Indiana State Trooper (ISP) and a Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputy. ISP says Perez-Ramirez dropped the gun, but was not listening to officers command. A Bargersville police officer then deployed a taser, and he was placed in handcuffs. There were several officers there at the time who came in to officer medical aid, and to call the paramedics.
“We did locate a firearm in the vicinity of the suspect,” says ISP Sgt. John Perrine, discussing their investigation into the incident, “At least four or five officers were on scene at the time.”
Perez-Ramirez was taken to the hospital in critical condition. No officers were hurt at the time.
“People pass through. He’s not from around here most likely,” says Bargersville Police Chief Todd Bertram.
Police first pulled the suspect over around 9:20 p.m. on Thursday on State Road 135 near Whiteland Road. Officials say they had reason to believe he was operating under the influence of alcohol.
They say the driver refused to show identification, but verbally identified himself as Alejandro Pisano. He then drove off before officers caught up to him at E. Old Plank Road.
Police say the driver then got out of the car and ran off. When officers followed, the suspect allegedly displayed a weapon.
Officers with the Bargersville, Greenwood, Trafalgar police departments, as well as the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, searched the area for three and a half hours but did not find the suspect initially.
This is a developing story and will be updated when there is more information.
