Sgt. Justin Heflin underwent surgery after being wounded during a pursuit that crossed from Michigan into northern Indiana.
MICHIGAN CITY, IN — An Indiana State Police sergeant was in stable condition after being shot multiple times during a stolen-vehicle pursuit Friday, while the man accused of opening fire was later found dead in a rural LaPorte County cornfield, authorities said.
The shooting prompted a large manhunt involving about 100 officers and temporarily led police to urge residents near Westville to remain indoors. Authorities ended the search after locating the suspect, identified by state police as 54-year-old Kevin Meyers of LaPorte. Police said there was no longer a threat to the community.
The incident began at about 5:30 a.m. Central time July 10, when Indiana troopers assisted authorities from Berrien County, Michigan, with the pursuit of a stolen silver 2019 Ford F-150. The chase crossed into Indiana on Interstate 94 and continued onto roads in LaPorte County, according to police accounts.
Police said Meyers fired several rounds from a rifle during the pursuit and pointed the weapon toward officers. He left the interstate and temporarily escaped officers before Sgt. Justin Heflin located the truck near the intersection of I-94 and U.S. 421.
Heflin’s patrol vehicle and the pickup collided as the sergeant followed the truck, police said. Investigators said Meyers then fired from inside the pickup, striking Heflin and his patrol vehicle multiple times. Heflin returned fire before the truck left the area, according to an Indiana State Police spokesman quoted by ABC News.
Other troopers reached Heflin and placed him in a police vehicle rather than waiting for an ambulance, authorities said. They took him to Franciscan Health Michigan City for emergency treatment. He was later transferred to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, where he underwent surgery.
State police said the surgery was successful and Heflin remained in stable condition. He is a 12-year veteran of the Indiana State Police and previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Officials had not released further details about his injuries or an expected date for his release from the hospital.
As Heflin received treatment, officers from several agencies searched for the pickup and its driver. At about 9:15 a.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit spotted the truck hidden near a tree line in the 7500 block of Joliet Road, in a rural area near Westville.
Police said officers approaching the area heard gunfire from a nearby cornfield. No officers were hurt at that location. Meyers was later found dead in the field with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds, authorities said.
The LaPorte County coroner was responsible for determining the official cause and manner of Meyers’ death. An autopsy was scheduled for Saturday, and authorities had not announced a final finding as of the latest public update. The circumstances surrounding the gunfire heard during the search also remained under investigation.
State police said the immediate danger had ended, but investigators continued examining the pursuit, the shooting of Heflin and Meyers’ death. No other injuries were reported, and officials had not released additional information about the original vehicle theft.
Author note: Last updated July 11, 2026.