The St. Joseph Metro Homicide Unit is investigating an incident that left one man dead and a Mishawaka police officer injured.
Around 11 o'clock Monday night, Detective Jeremy Tyler, an off-duty Mishawaka police officer, saw what police are calling a suspicious activity at the Schneider Auto Sales car lot on Boles and Lincoln Way East in Osceola.
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office says Tyler approached the suspect, 43-year-old Eugene Nusbaum, when he noticed Nusbaum was attempting to cut a catalytic converter from a vehicle in the car lot.
The prosecutor's office says Tyler tried to stop Nusbaum. When the suspect refused, the officer got into Nusbaum's truck in an attempt to prevent him from driving off.
Nusbaum then shifted the truck into gear, dragging Tyler alongside the moving vehicle.
At that point, police say Tyler feared for his life, and opened fire.
Nusbam escaped in his truck and crashed into a tattoo parlor, about a quarter mile away, flipping his vehicle.
When Tyler caught up with the truck he found Nusbaum dead.
The auto dealer tells us the only damage at his lot is to a Pontiac mini-van. Investigators say Nusbaum was trying to steal the van's catalytic converter; a part that’s worth about 90-dollars at a scrap yard.
“It has become a problem as of late because of the scrap value of catalytic converters. We had a couple stolen two weeks ago. It’s a shame that somebody had to lose their life over it. You hate to see that,” Brian Schneider of Schneider auto sales tells us.
According to the St. Joseph County Police, Nusbaum had a criminal history.
He was arrested 12 times from 1995 to 2005.
The coroner’s office has reported that it was the shot to the chest that killed him, and not the crash. Investigators hope to learn more with the results.
The case is still under investigation by the Metro Homicide Unit. Jeremy Tyler is currently on administrative leave from the Mishawaka Police Department.
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