Vanderburgh County Central Dispatch has released audio recordings from the pursuit and fatal shooting of a man in Evansville last week.
A manager at TGI Friday’s told dispatchers that 38-year-old Daniel Wooters was threatening customers after being cut off from buying any more drinks.
In another call, an Eastland Mall security guard tells dispatch, “We have a man at our TGI Friday’s who is threatening to kill people.”
Police responded and found the man on the mall parking lot, where an officer told dispatchers he was threatening her with a knife.
Wooters then stole the officer’s police cruiser and started a pursuit that ended in gunfire on Morgan Avenue.
On the recording, we hear an officer report that shots were fired. He also calls for a AMR ambulance and Evansville firefighters and for officers to block Morgan Avenue between Theater Drive and Wellworth Avenue.
Police say three officers fired at Wooters and he dropped to the ground. The officers are identified as Jason Thomas, Zach Elfreich, and Dexter Wolf.
They were not injured.
The officers say they performed CPR until medical personnel arrived. Wooters was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.