UPDATE (September 17, 2025):
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Fort Wayne police say a murder victim’s body was found in the backseat of a vehicle that was involved in a high-speed police chase early Monday morning from Fort Wayne to Churubusco.
Dispatchers took calls just before 1:30 a.m. about a man who was put into the car after he was shot in the 2300 block of Cortland Avenue.
Police found shell casings and a lot of blood in the alleyway behind the 600 block of West State Boulevard. The driver of the car shot himself in the head after the chase ended and is hospitalized.
The Fort Wayne Police Department released the following:
Date: September 15th, 2025 Updated Location: 2300 Cortland Ave, Lima Rd & Ludwig Rd Time: 0126hrs and 0940hrs
Details/Summary:
On September 15th, 2025, at 0126 hours, the Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) responded to the 2300 block of Cortland Avenue reference a shooting investigation. Initial callers indicated a male subject was shot and placed in the back of a vehicle that subsequently fled the area. Area hospitals were notified, however there were no reports of a victim arriving at a hospital.
Fort Wayne Police Officers arrived on scene with an approximate one-minute response time. Upon canvasing the area, officers located an abandoned crime scene with a large amount of blood and shell casing(s) in the alleyway in rear of the 600 block of W. State Blvd. Based on the large amount of blood located in the alleyway, the Fort Wayne Homicide Unit was paged out to conduct the criminal investigation.
Based on the amount of blood evidence, Detectives believed they were investigating a homicide and the suspect removed the victim from the scene in an effort to conceal the crime. Through investigative techniques, in conjunction with a thorough area canvass and witness statements, Homicide Detectives were able to identify the suspect vehicle(s) involved in the shooting and removal of the victim. The Fort Wayne Homicide Task Force was initiated.
Approximately 8 hours and 10 minutes from the time of dispatch, the Homicide Task Force located the suspect vehicle in a parking lot of a local business. The Homicide Task Force attempted to perform a high-risk felony traffic stop on the vehicle, at which time the suspect vehicle fled, leading the Homicide Task Force on a pursuit.
Location: 2300 Cortland Ave, Lima Rd & Ludwig Rd
Time: 0126hrs and 0940hrs
Details/Summary continued:
Due to the suspect being an armed homicide suspect and the belief the vehicle contained the shooting victim, the Homicide Task Force pursued the vehicle in an effort to apprehend the suspect and recover the victim. The pursuit lasted approximately 17 minutes, involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The suspect vehicle eventually went off road in the area of Madden Road and SR-205 and the pursuit ended.
A high-risk felony stop was performed and the driver refused to exit. The Fort Wayne Emergency Services Team (EST) and Crisis Response Team (CRT) were called in to assist. Eventually, the suspect was extracted from the vehicle and arrested in connection to the earlier shooting investigation. The suspect was found to have a semi-automatic firearm in his lap and appeared to be suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
The suspect was immediately rendered aid by the Three Rivers Ambulance Authority (TRAA) and transported to an area hospital for medical attention. Upon EST clearing the vehicle, the homicide victim’s body was located in the backseat.
On 09/16/2025, the Allen County Coroners Office performed an autopsy on the victim and advised his manner of death was homicide. Per standard protocol, the Allen County Coroners Office will be releasing an official statement on the identity, cause and manner of death of the victim.
The Fort Wayne Homicide Unit is still actively investigating the incident at this time.
ORIGINAL STORY:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Police in Fort Wayne Police say a man was arrested after a chase and brief standoff ended in Whitley County Monday morning. The FWPD says the vehicle fled from a traffic stop at Lima and Ludwig around 9:40 a.m.
By 10, the vehicle had stopped on SR 205 close to Madden Road. The driver initially refused officers’ commands. Additional teams were called in, and the man was eventually taken into custody.
His identity and the charges are not yet known.
The FWPD did not release any further details but put out the following:
On September 15th, 2025, at about 9:40 AM, Officers of the Fort Wayne Police Department attempted to make contact with a vehicle near the intersection of Lima Rd and Ludwig Rd. The male driver fled, committing traffic violations. Multiple agencies assisted as the vehicle left the city limits and traveled into Whitley County. The pursuit came to an end near the intersection of SR 205 and Madden Rd. The driver would not comply with verbal commands of Officers at the scene. With the assistance of the Emergency Service Team, Crisis Response Team, and Air Support Unit the driver was taken into custody. This incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department.
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