An Indiana State Police investigation into a police action shooting that resulted in the shooting death of Dylan Bush in Culver on Sunday, November 28, 2021 will not involve any criminal charges to the officer.
Indiana State Police investigators reviewed recorded interviews of material witnesses, police dash board video camera footage, surveillance camera footage, CAD reports from Marshall County Dispatch and ISP dispatch, crash reports, reports from officers, EMS reports, recorded radio transmissions, 911 calls, photographs, diagrams, and other reports.
According to information provided by the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation reportedly found that Bush led police from several agencies on a pursuit through Culver and in areas of Marshall County for about 13.5 miles before he was cornered by several police vehicles as Bush tried to get out of the exit of the First National Bank of Monterey parking lot. Marshall County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Sgt. Matthew Brown angled his vehicle in front of Bush’s vehicle and drew his service weapon while shouting commands to Bush to stop and show his hands. Bush did not comply with commands, according to the investigation. Bush’s Cavalier continued to lurch forward and repeatedly struck the side of Brown’s vehicle in an apparent attempt to re-align the Cavalier in order to position Bush for an escape.
Sgt. Brown placed himself between his vehicle and Bush’s vehicle and continued to the driver’s side window, shouting commands to Bush. Brown reached and leaned through the window in an unsuccessful attempt to disable the vehicle and take control of Bush.
At that moment, the investigation found Bush accelerated forward and at an angle struck and propelled Sgt. Brown into the side of his own vehicle. The force of the Cavalier striking Brown accelerated Brown forward which allowed the officer to escape the squeeze of the two vehicles. Police say the Cavalier then lurched forward, appeared to straighten its path, but then jerked to the left toward Sgt. Brown’s position. Three shots were then fired at Bush from Sgt. Brown’s service weapon, according to the report. The Cavalier proceeded to the south side of the bank and followed the drive that traverses behind the bank which heads north to the Park N’ Shop parking lot. The Cavalier struck an unoccupied pick-up truck in the parking lot at a low rate of speed. The officers then tended to Bush with life-saving efforts until paramedics arrived at the scene. Bush was pronounced dead at the scene by the Marshall County Coroner.
After review of the pursuit policies of the Culver Police Department and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, the use of deadly force policy of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, the evidence collected, the circumstances deduced, and state law, Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman concluded that Sgt. Brown’s use of his firearm was justified. No criminal charges will be filed in this case.
