Paul Coffin is currently being held in the Starke County Jail with no bond pending review of charges by the Starke County Prosecutor’s Officer following a pursuit Wednesday evening about 7:30.
Starke County Officer Adam Gray attempted to make a routine traffic stop on a vehicle on US 30 west of 1200 East but the car didn’t stop until 1100 East. As Officer Gray began to exit his patrol vehicle, Coffin allegedly put his car in reverse and backed into the officer’s car causing the patrol car to hit the officer.
Coffin started to pull forward and Officer Gray wasn’t sure if he was going to flee or back into him again so the officer fired three shots into Coffin’s vehicle. Coffin did flee in the vehicle north on 1100 East and another Starke County officer arriving on scene took to the pursuit.
Officer Adam Gray was able to get back into his vehicle and also assisted in the pursuit the led officers through Starke County and into Marshall County. In Marshall County Coffin traveled on 6th Road to Plymouth LaPorte Trail and then on to 7th Road where he headed west bound again.
As Coffin came over a hill he jumped out of the moving vehicle allowing the car to go off the roadway striking a mailbox, driving across a yard and into a bean field.
Starke County Police allege that Mr. Coffin then fled on foot into a heavily wooded area with officers in pursuit. Deputies were able to tazer Coffin and get custody of him.
Plymouth EMS transported him to Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth for treatment of road-rash and then released him to Starke County Police.
Due to the fact that an officer was involved in this shooting the Indiana State Police is conducting an investigation of this incident.
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department was assisted at the scene by Marshall County Police, Knox Police, Walkerton Police, North Liberty Police, and the Indiana State Police.
