Evansville Police say a man shot by officers Saturday night may have been attempting a “suicide by cop.”
Sgt. Jason Cullum says 61-year-old Joe Johns of Newburgh was wounded by four officers, after leading them on a pursuit that ended in a parking lot off South Green River Road.
Cullum told reporters during a news conference that Johns had recently bonded out of jail after being arrested in Warrick County for alleged child molesting.
A family member had alerted authorities that Johns might be suicidal and had a gun in a park at Vann and Pollack.
Cullum says a crisis negotiator tried to end the situation peacefully at the park, but Johns sped away in his pickup truck and police pursued him until he drove through a gate at the lot on South Green River.
Police say Johns then drove his truck toward officers and they opened fire.
Cullum says Johns was wounded, taken to a local hospital, and then flown to an out-of-town hospital. His condition is not known.
Police say they recovered a handgun from Johns’ truck.
The officers involved in the shooting haven’t been identified yet. They’ve submitted initial statements on what happened, and have been placed on paid leave.