COLUMBUS, Ind.—A Columbus police officer was shot following an attempted traffic stop in Columbus on Saturday morning. Lt. Matt Harris says the officer had attempted to pull-over Quentin Starke, 44, in downtown Columbus, near the intersection of 11th Street and Washington Street. Starke refused to stop, so police continued to give chase until Starke was finally halted by tire deflation devices in Garden City on State Road 11. The suspect then exited his vehicle and allegedly shot the officer before fleeing the scene. The injured CPD officer, Joshua McCrary, was transported to Columbus Regional Health in stable condition.
The Indiana State Police became involved in the search and reported that just past noon, a trooper located Starke hiding near a gravel road in the S.R. 200S area. Starke allegedly shot at the officer, who returned fire and fatally injured Starke. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death, and a ballistics test will be performed to determine which weapon’s bullet or bullets struck Starke.
