Press Release

ELKHART — Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker has ruled two police officers’ actions in a fatal shooting at an Elkhart Martin’s Supermarket were justified.

Becker said no criminal charges will be filed arising from this matter.

Around 5:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, Corporal Paul Vandenburg and Patrolman Ethan Pasternak with the Elkhart Police Department responded to a shooting report at the Martin’s Supermarket on East Jackson Boulevard in Elkhart.

Juan M. Sanchez, 54, shot and killed Benjamin S. Jeffery, 49; and Annasue Rocha, 19, inside the store. Sanchez then exited the store and was confronted by Vandenburg and Pasternak. He fired multiple times at the officers, who responded by shooting and killing him.

According to a press release from the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office, Pasternak was first to arrive on scene less than two minutes after the shooting occurred inside the store. Upon arrival, he was directed southward from the Martin’s main entrance.

Pasternak proceeded around the east perimeter of the apartment building as he ran south and saw two men on the sidewalk area between the parking lot and the building.

While Pasternak was assessing the threat level of each of those men, one, later identified as Sanchez, pulled a handgun out of his coat pocket and fired at Pasternak, at which time Pasternak returned fire.

Pasternak was hit by the shot from Sanchez, which went through his elbow area, exited, then went into his chest/torso area. Although partially incapacitated from the gunshot injury, Pasternak continued to fire at Sanchez, who had turned and fired at Vandenburg, until the threat from Sanchez was neutralized.

Vandenburg had arrived and followed the same path as Pasternak a few seconds later and was at the southeast corner of the apartment building, trying to direct two bystanders away from the area that appeared to be trying to video record the event with a cellphone.

Vandenburg saw Sanchez turn toward him and begin firing and returned fire. Vandenburg was hit by Sanchez’s gunfire in the elbow area.

“Without the heroic and immediate actions of both Patrolman Ethan Pasternak and Corporal Paul Vandenburg, I believe that additional acts of violence would have been committed by Sanchez,” said Becker.