Indiana man died of suicide during shootout with police in Chesterton, autopsy finds
A man shot himself in the head during an exchange of gunfire with police Wednesday morning outside a hotel in Chesterton, Indiana, an autopsy determined on Thursday.
The Porter County Coroner's Office said 45-year-old Joseph Gerber, of Winamac, Indiana, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and his death was deemed a suicide. An autopsy revealed he also suffered multiple other gunshot wounds.
Shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday, Chesterton police were called to the Hilton Garden Inn to investigate a complaint about a suspicious person at the hotel who was not a guest, according to Indiana State Police.
Chesterton Police Chief Tim Richardson said, when two officers arrived at the scene, they had an interaction with Gerber, leading to an exchange of gunfire between Gerber and police.
Gerber was killed, and a 33-year-old officer also was shot, and was taken to an Illinois hospital for treatment. Richardson said the officer's prognosis is good.
"Our thoughts are with the officer and his family. They are most important to us right now," he said.
Indiana State Police were investigating the shootout, and once the investigation is completed, police will turn over their findings to the Porter County Prosecutor's Office for review.
If you or someone you know is concerned about suicide, you can contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by dialing 988. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, or go here to online chat. More helpful resources can be found here.
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