1:30 a.m. on February 8, 2026, Elkhart Police Department Officer Ragsdale was driving past the area of High Dive Park pavilion and noticed a vehicle that was running while sitting stationary in the parking lot after the park was closed. Officer Ragsdale had previously investigated concerns relating to a variety of possible criminal behaviors commonly discovered in such circumstances, and it is not uncommon to have to provide aid to people in need of immediate mental health and/or medical services. Officer Ragsdale pulled into the lot near the suspicious vehicle and observed several individuals inside, some appearing to be minors. Officer Ragsdale called for backup. While Officer Ragsdale was speaking to the driver, he noticed a scent he recognized as an alcoholic beverage prompting further investigation pursuant to Indiana law. EPD Officer Breneman arrived to provide back-up while Officer Ragsdale continued his work. Officer Ragsdale attempted to gather identifying information from each occupant of the vehicle, being led to believe that there were two individuals that were eighteen (18) and three individuals claiming to be juveniles, two males and one female. Officer Ragsdale then returned to his vehicle to determine whether there were any law enforcement notifications relating to any of the occupants. Although Officer Ragsdale did not know it at the time, the front seat passenger provided false information regarding his name during the investigation and was on probation after having being adjudicated Delinquent for both felony and misdemeanor offenses in Elkhart County Juvenile Court, the nature of which included Auto Theft, Resisting Law Enforcement, Dangerous Possession of a Firearm, and Disorderly Conduct (See I.C. 31-39-2-8). Upon removing the occupants of the vehicle, one by one to ensure safety and control, the eighteen (18) year old driver did not have any identification on him and advised “not right now” when asked if he had any weapons. As Officer Ragsdale continued to remove the backseat passengers from the driver’s side of the vehicle, the front seat passenger, who had previously been complying with officer directives to keep hands visible, was also directed to stay in the car, but reached down between his legs and refused to put his hand up when ordered. The front passenger then abruptly turned, got out of the car on the passenger’s side, and fired a handgun toward Officer Breneman. Both Officer Ragsdale and Officer Breneman fired their respective handguns in response. The front passenger was fatally shot during this event. A Glock 9mm handgun was on the ground near him. In less than one-minute, additional officers began arriving. The other people from the subject car were secured and more responding officers approached the front passenger lying on the ground, providing first aid until medics arrived. No other individual had approached the front passenger or inflicted any additional injury during that time. The front passenger was transported to the hospital, where he was declared deceased. three specific gunshot injuries, During the crime scene investigation in which crime scene specialists documented and recovered evidence related to the event, another handgun was found on the front passenger floorboard of the subject vehicle that had been modified to be fully automatic by what is known as a “switch”. A “switch” is an after-market attachment that converts a semi-automatic handgun to a fully automatic handgun which is illegal to possess pursuant to both State and Federal law. This modification allows for the extremely rapid firing of the weapon without having to pull the trigger additional times. The crime scene investigators located eleven (11) handgun casings near the scene which were examined and analyzed by an outside agency’s crime laboratory along with the weapons from each officer, the weapon used by the front seat passenger, and the weapon with the “switch” that was still in the car that had been at the feet of the front seat passenger. The handgun the front seat passenger used was located near his hand and was determined to have fired one (1) of the casings, Officer Breneman’s weapon fired five (5) of the casings, and Officer Ragsdale’s weapon fired five (5) of the casings that had been located. Other concerning items discovered in the vehicle included a twenty dollar ($20) bill with a white powdery substance that later tested positive for cocaine; two (2) THC vaping devices; two (2) nicotine vaping devices; and, a “Biggie Ball” of an alcoholic beverage. Again, all occupants of the vehicle were under the age of twenty-one, with three of the occupants under the age of eighteen