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More charges have been filed against the man involved in Saturday morning’s police-involved shooting in Kosciusko County.
Court documents filed Monday in Kosciusko Circuit Court list the charges against Lance Allen Walter, 37, homeless, as attempted murder, a level 1 felony; battery to a public safety official (bodily injury), level 5 felony; resisting law enforcement, level 6 felony; failure to stop after an accident, level 6 felony; failure to stop after an accident (moderate injury), level 6 felony; criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor; resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor; reckless driving, a class C misdemeanor; and a sentence enhancement for resisting law enforcement, level 5 felony.
For the sentence enhancement, court documents state Walter has a prior unrelated conviction involving the use of a vehicle while resisting law enforcement in Starke County on Jan. 18, 2018.
Walter originally was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail with a Mansfield, Ohio, address.
On June 7 at approximately 4:15 a.m., court documents state, Indiana State Police Det. R. Hovarter was contacted to assist Warsaw Police Department in an investigation of an incident that had occurred earlier that morning involving a person fleeing in an automobile from a WPD officer around the vicinity of CR 150N and Ind. 13. Hovarter was advised by WPD officers that WPD officer Lucas Vander Hart had attempted to stop a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, which was driven by a man later identified as Walter, for a traffic violation. Hovarter learned when Vander Hart activated his emergency lights and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Walter failed to stop and instead fled from Vander Hart at a high rate of speed.
During his investigation of the matter, Hovarter reviewed Vander Hart’s body and dash camera footage of the incident and noted that at approximately 3:33 a.m. Saturday, Vander Hart informed dispatchers, via radio, he was “in pursuit.” Vander Hart also informed dispatchers he was at B21 Lane coming out to Ind. 13.
Vander Hart then radioed he was south on Ind. 13, pursuing a pickup truck at 86 mph and climbing. The speed was seen on Vander Hart’s body camera.
Vander Hart’s car dash camera footage also showed the fleeing truck driving in the opposite lane of travel at a high rate of speed, and then later the pickup driver turned off his lights and was driving without lights on as he fled. During the pursuit, Vander Hart reported to dispatch the truck appeared to have an Ohio license plate.
During the pursuit, the truck turned onto CR 150N and entered a field, turning around in front of Vander Hart, who was opening his driver’s door to yell further commands to the pickup truck driver. At this time, the truck was in the process of a high-speed turn around and sideswiped Vander Hart’s vehicle on the driver’s side, causing the driver’s side door to close on Vander Hart’s leg, causing injury that was later observed as bruises and cuts.
Vander Hart’s body cam shows that sometime as the truck is hitting the front and driver’s side of Vander Hart’s vehicle, or immediately thereafter, Vander Hart discharged his service weapon, in the direction of the pickup truck, as the truck continues to flee at a high rate of speed without its lights on, according to court documents.
Vander Hart was able to exit his damaged vehicle and run across the street, taking cover in some brush. The truck left the area without its lights on. The area was very dimly lit.
On the body camera, the sound of the pickup truck is heard, first speeding away, then hard braking, tires squealing and finally the sound of the engine roaring as the vehicle returns to directly strike Vander Hart’s vehicle’s driver’s side, with the force strong enough to cause the vehicle to spin almost 180 degrees.
After hitting Vander Hart’s vehicle, the truck entered the field again and became disabled. Walter fled on foot and ran into the field, but the passenger in his vehicle, Phil Robbins, suffered leg and other injuries and was unable to move.
Other officers arrived on the scene as backup. A WPD K-9 found Walter in the field and Walter was taken into custody.
Hovarter determined from evidence on scene the truck pursued by Vander Hart was a black 2008 Chevrolet pickup truck with an Ohio registration. The vehicle is registered to Walter, of Mansfield, Ohio.
Hovarter met with Walter, who waived his Miranda rights and agreed to talk with Hovarter.
Walter said he was homeless and would stay sometimes with friends, but he also lived out of his truck. He indicated he was at a “gentlemen’s club” in North Webster earlier that morning. Walter said after the club, he drove in his truck. He recalled seeing a vehicle’s headlights approach him from the rear. Walter stated that although he did not recall which road he was traveling on, he recalled seeing a vehicle approach him from the rear and it made him feel “uneasy.” Walter then stated he “kicked it in the a**.”
Walter then explained he recalled seeing emergency lights but decided to accelerate his vehicle instead of stopping. When asked why he tried to get away, Walter responded, “because they were chasing me.” He also stated, “This is the second time I’ve had a high-speed chase.”
Walter stated some time before the pursuit with police ended, he “goosed” his pickup truck, which caused it to “fishtail.” Walter said the pursuing officer shot at him and although he was not hit by the officer’s gunfire, he believed his pickup truck was hit, possibly in the tire. Walter then stated, “It started pulling this way and it pulled me right into that d*** cruiser” and “that’s why I hit the cruiser.”
Walter admitted he hit the cruiser “real hard,” according to court documents.
Walter later stated he “skidded off” of the police vehicle as he drove past it, which is when “he shot at me.”
Walter admitted to hitting the police vehicle a second time, stating, “That’s when I overcorrected and spun around and come back the other way, then hit it again. “
Several times during the interview, Hovarter tried asking Walter why he fled from Vander Hart and why he didn’t just take his speeding ticket. At one point, Walter’s demeanor started to change and he became agitated and almost angry, stating, “I don’t like police. You guys only ever come at me” and “I don’t f****** like you!”
When Hovarter continued asking questions, Walter again stated, “I don’t f***** like you guys.” After this exchange, Walter said, “I can only imagine what the charges (will be).” He later said he didn’t understand why the officer started shooting, stating, “I’ll be honest. It turned something else on.”
During the interview, Walter said his friend Robbins was in his pickup truck with him. When Hovarter asked what Robbins did at the end of the event, Walter stated that he encouraged Robbins to run, but Robbins informed him that he could not go with him because he could not move his legs. Walter admitted that he left Robbins and ran, but later decided to surrender. Walter said he fled because, “It’s my M.O. I run.”
Hovarter also interviewed Robbins at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital. Robbins said while riding with Walter earlier that morning, Walter fled from a police officer which led to the pursuit. Although Robbins could not remember what Walter crashed into, the crash resulted in injuries to both of Robbins’ legs.
Damage to the WPD vehicle was in excess of $750.
Along with Walter’s previous conviction for resisting law enforcement in Starke County, Starke also was previously convicted of escape (inflicting bodily injury), a level 4 felony, in Marshall County.
