SALEM, Indiana — (WHAS11)-Indiana State Police is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting at the Washington County Fairgrounds in the 100 block of North Fair Street in Salem.
ISP said at around 2 p.m. July 3, officers were called to the scene to investigate a suspicious person. When they located 53-year-old Mark A. Naugle of Scottsburg, police said he approached officers while waving a hammer, refusing to drop it despite commands. ISP said this prompted one officer to shoot Naugle, killing him.
"They requested several times ordering him to drop the hammer and to stop approaching. He didn't. He failed to obey those commands," ISP Sgt. Carey Huls said. "It's safe to say the officer naturally feared for their life or they wouldn't have had to take the shots."
Sgt. Huls said at least one of the officers shot the man at least once but says more shots may have been fired.
Questions remain about Naugle's behavior and how close he was to police when they fired. Sgt. Huls also said toxicology reports would determine if Naugle was under the influence at the time of the incident.
"That will all come out in the end. That's one of those things, we want the answers too," Sgt. Huls said.
Both police officers at the scene have been placed on administrative leave, which ISP said is procedural in officer-involved shootings. This investigation is ongoing, including an autopsy, and more information will be released after the investigation is complete.
"There's a lot of information to look at, a lot of evidence to comb through, as well as the autopsy and that type of information that we'll have to wait for those results," Huls said. "It just takes time."
ISP said the information will be turned over to the Washington County prosecutor for review after the investigation.
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