News Release

UPDATE: The deceased driver of a Chevrolet has been identified as Jeffrey L. Marvin, 63, of Valparaiso. Family has been notified.

The original release appears below.

Starke County — The Indiana State Police have been requested to investigate an officer-involved shooting involving deputies with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department.

Just before midnight on Dec. 31, 2020, a deputy with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department saw a red Chevrolet pickup truck commit a moving violation on US 30 at Pioneer Road. When the deputy attempted to stop the Chevrolet, the Chevrolet fled from the deputy, who was in his fully marked police vehicle.

Two officers with the Plymouth Police Department assisted with the pursuit as the pursuit went through Plymouth. The driver of the Chevrolet is alleged to have swerved at several police vehicles during the pursuit.

The driver of the Chevrolet led pursuing officers into Starke County, ultimately hitting a tire deflation device (stop sticks) at the intersection of East CR 750N and East South Avenue. The driver of the Chevrolet continued down a dead-end section of East South Avenue and turned around, driving towards the pursuing officers and colliding with two Plymouth Police Department vehicles and a Marshall County Sheriff’s Department vehicle. As the officers exited their vehicles, the driver of the Chevrolet is alleged to have driven towards the officers who were now outside of their vehicles. Two deputies then fired at the driver of the Chevrolet, hitting him at least once.

The driver of the Chevrolet was taken to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The identity of the involved deputies will be made at a later date. Any questions regarding the status of the involved deputies should be made to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department.

At the conclusion of this investigation, all information will be turned over to the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office for review. There is no other information to release currently.