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LIGONIER - A man armed with a knife was shot and killed Thursday afternoon by a police officer investigating a domestic dispute.
Ricky Delafuente, 21, of Bourbon, was shot in the chest by Ligonier Assistant Police Chief Joe Hutsell, said Noble County Sheriff Doug Dukes. Delafuente died instantly. The shooting occurred at the home of Delafuente's grandparents.
The Noble County Sheriff's Department reported that Delafuente held a knife to his grandmother's throat and threatened to kill her. Delafuente then reportedly turned the knife on Hutsell before Hutsell fired the fatal shot.
The grandmother, whose name has not been released, reported the incident to police at 1:20 p.m Thursday.
Delafuente, who attended Triton High School, was wanted in Texas on a felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His grandmother told police he suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse and has had mental problems.
Prosecutor G. David Laur said Hutsell was working at the house with Ligonier Police Chief John Durham, who lives nearby.
"Apparently one of the officers was on his way to get help, and the other officer had to shoot the grandson in self-defense," Laur said.
Laur said there was a domestic dispute between the grandson and grandmother, but he did not know details of the dispute.
An autopsy will be done today at St. Joseph Medical Center in Fort Wayne, County Coroner Terry Brazzell said.
The shooting remains under investigation pending a January grand jury investigation.
