UPDATE (April 23, 2025):
The Allen County Coroner’s Office has identified a man who was shot and killed on Hinton Drive Sunday. Police believe the man who shot him, identified as Christifer Debus, was later killed by officers in a chase that ended in Whitley County.
The Fort Wayne Police Department and the Indiana State Police continue to investigate.
(Update from ISP below)
The Allen County Coroner’s Office released the following:
On Sunday, April 20th, 2025, the Allen County Coroner’s Office was notified of a shooting that occurred in the 1600 block of Hinton Drive in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The individual was transported to a local hospital and was later pronounced deceased.
The person was identified as Jeremiah Donald Lothamer, 46, male, White of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
An autopsy has been completed, and notification has been made to the legal next of kin. The Cause of Death is Multiple Gunshot Wounds, and the Manner of Death is Homicide.
Jeremiah Donald Lothamer is the 13th homicide for Allen County in 2025.
The incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
The Indiana State Police have released the following update on Sunday:
Detectives from the Indiana State Police are investigating an officer involved shooting that took place on April 20 just before 8:00pm on SR9 south of Columbia City.
Earlier in the evening, Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) was called to a possible homicide. They were given a vehicle description that the suspect was reported leaving the scene in. The vehicle was located and ended up being pursued by FWPD. Troopers from the Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Post joined the pursuit which ended in Whitley County. Along with FWPD and ISP, Whitley County and Allen County Sheriff’s Departments also joined this pursuit of the homicide suspect as it went through several jurisdictions. At some point near the end of the pursuit, the suspect fired shots at officers. Officers from several agencies returned fire.
After a brief standoff, officers were able to make contact with the suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene by medics. There were no other people in the vehicle. One Trooper sustained minor injuries from being struck by broken glass. All Indiana State Police Troopers involved in this incident have been placed on administrative leave, which is customary in officer involved shootings.
This is an ongoing investigation and it will take time to complete. The investigation will determine which officers fired their weapons and if the cause of death was self inflicted or a result of the officer involved shooting. The identity of the deceased, as well as the exact cause of death will be released after further investigation by the coroner.
Indiana State Police Troopers were assisted by Indiana State Police SWAT, Fort Wayne Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department EST (SWAT), Fort Wayne Police Department ESU (DRONE), Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, Whitley County Coroner’s office, and Parkview EMS.
If there are any questions related to the homicide in Fort Wayne, please direct them to Fort Wayne Police Department.
****UPDATE 4/22/25****
The Whitley County Coroner’s Office has released the identity of the man who fired at officers and died in the officer involved shooting on April 20, 2025 in Whitley County. Christifer Debus (38), of Fort Wayne, was the person involved in the pursuit and the officer involved shooting. The results of the autopsy are pending and the cause of death is still not determined. If there are any questions on the identification or cause of death, contact Randy Dellinger at the Whitley County Coroner’s Office – (260)244-2346.
It has also been determined that Debus fired, at close range, at an Indiana State Police Trooper after the Trooper attempted a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) to end the pursuit of the homicide suspect. This technique is used by trained law enforcement officers to make contact at a controlled speed to push the rear of the violator vehicle to the point it spins causing the violator to stop. At the conclusion of this investigation all information will be turned over to the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office for review. At this time there is no other information available. The investigation is still ongoing and updates will continue as information does become available.
ORIGINAL STORY:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Police say two men are dead after a shooting and chase from Fort Wayne into Whitley County Sunday night. It began as FWPD officers were called to the 1600 block of Hinton Drive around 7:30 p.m., where a man was reported to have been shot.
The suspect took off, and police say he opened fire on officers during a chase that went into Whitley County.
He was the only one in the vehicle, and his name has not been released. The FWPD and the Indiana State Police are investigating. (See statements below)
The Fort Wayne Police Department released the following:
At 7:29pm, the Fort Wayne Police Department received reports of a shooting inside of a home in the 1600 block of Hinton Dr. While officers were responding, a caller provided a description of the suspect vehicle that was fleeing the scene. Officers located the suspect vehicle and a pursuit ensued. Other officers arrived at the scene and located an adult male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wound(s). That adult male was transported to a local hospital in life-threatening condition, and was later pronounced deceased by hospital personnel.
The vehicle pursuit continued throughout Allen County and eventually crossed over into Whitely County. At approximately 7:50pm, the suspect vehicle crashed near SR 9 and 100 E in Whitley County, at which time the suspect began shooting at police. Officers from several agencies returned fire.
A brief standoff then ensued, at which point the FWPD’s Emergency Services Team and Crisis Response Team were dispatched to the scene. Officers eventually made contact with the suspect/driver (adult male), who was pronounced deceased on the scene by medics. He was the only person in the vehicle and no other vehicles/persons were involved.
No officers were injured during the pursuit or exchange of gunfire.
FWPD Homicide Detectives are currently investigating what initially took place at the home in the 1600 block of Hinton Dr. It is currently unknown what led the suspect-male to shoot the victim-male. Witnesses are at the police station being interviewed by detectives as crime scene personnel are processing the scene.
The officer involved shooting portion of this incident will be investigated by the Indiana State Police per standard protocol. Additionally per standard protocol, any FWPD officers involved will be placed on standard administrative leave to allow them time to cope with the traumatic incident and make them available for follow-up interviews and the investigation as a whole.
The identities of the deceased parties, as well as the exact causes and manners of death, will be released by the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
There is nothing further at this time.
Indiana State Police released the following:
Detectives from the Indiana State Police are investigating an officer involved shooting that took place on April 20 just before 8:00pm on SR9 south of Columbia City.
Earlier in the evening, Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) was called to a possible homicide. They were given a vehicle description that the suspect was reported leaving the scene in. The vehicle was located and ended up being pursued by FWPD. Troopers from the Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Post joined the pursuit which ended in Whitley County. Along with FWPD and ISP, Whitley County and Allen County Sheriff’s Departments also joined this pursuit of the homicide suspect as it went through several jurisdictions. At some point near the end of the pursuit, the suspect fired shots at officers. Officers from several agencies returned fire.
After a brief standoff, officers were able to make contact with the suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene by medics. There were no other people in the vehicle. One Trooper sustained minor injuries from being struck by broken glass. All Indiana State Police Troopers involved in this incident have been placed on administrative leave, which is customary in officer involved shootings.
This is an ongoing investigation and it will take time to complete. The investigation will determine which officers fired their weapons and if the cause of death was self inflicted or a result of the officer involved shooting. The identity of the deceased, as well as the exact cause of death will be released after further investigation by the coroner.
Indiana State Police Troopers were assisted by Indiana State Police SWAT, Fort Wayne Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department EST (SWAT), Fort Wayne Police Department ESU (DRONE), Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, Whitley County Coroner’s office, and Parkview EMS.
If there are any questions related to the homicide in Fort Wayne, please direct them to Fort Wayne Police Department.
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