(Howard County, IN)-Howard County Sheriff Steve Rogers has just announced that 27 year old Deputy Carl A. Koontz, an almost three year veteran of the Howard County Sheriff Department has died as a result of the gunshot injuries he sustained during a warrant service early this morning.
At approximately 12:30 a.m., Koontz, along with Howard County Sheriff Sergeant Jordan J. Buckley and officers from the Kokomo Police Department were attempting to serve a search warrant at 380 Chandler Street in Russiaville, southwest of Kokomo.
According to Rogers, officers were looking for an individual with an outstanding arrest warrant. When the officers knocked on the door of the residence and announced their presence, there was no answer. Upon entering the residence, the officers were confronted by gunfire and they in turn returned gunfire.
Koontz and 35 year old Buckley were wounded during the exchange. A Russiaville officer and other deputies were able to extract the wounded officers from the residence and provide first aid. Both Koontz and Buckley were transported initially to Howard Regional Hospital, stabilized and then airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
Deputies had secured the area around the residence, removing residents adjacent to the scene for their safety. Howard County SWAT, Kokomo Police SWAT and Indiana State Police SWAT responded and attempts to contact the occupant of the residence began about 2:30 a.m. with no response. These attempts continued for about two hours. SWAT personnel were able to confirm an individual was deceased inside of the residence. That person’s identity has not yet been confirmed.
Indiana State Police is the lead investigative agency and while the investigation is still in its early stages, crime scene investigators and detectives are working diligently to determine the dynamics of the incident.
Pictured: Deputy Carl A. Koontz
