Man killed in officer-involved shooting in Valpo was on probation for resisting law enforcement
The man killed in an officer-involved shooting in Valparaiso Thursday afternoon pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor count of resisting law enforcement and was on probation as part of a resolution of three criminal cases against him, according to online court records.
Caden Mura, 20, of Valparaiso, died in the shooting, according to a release late Thursday night from the Porter County Coroner’s Office. Officials from that office were called to the Northwest Health – Valparaiso emergency room at 3:04 p.m. regarding the death; the incident is still under investigation and cause and manner of death are pending autopsy and toxicology.
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday, according to the coroner’s office, and Indiana State Police, which was called in to investigate, expect to release more details about what happened on Tuesday, according to Sgt. Glen Fifield, public information officer for the Lowell Post.
He declined to comment on the rank or tenure of the officer involved or confirm whether they have been placed on paid administrative leave as the investigation continues. The officer has not been identified.
Mura was charged on Aug. 16, 2022, with felony auto theft and a host of misdemeanor counts including operating while intoxicated, never receiving a license and criminal recklessness.
He pleaded guilty on May 8, 2023, before Porter Superior Court Judge Christopher Buckley, to operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol content of .15 or higher and the rest of the charges were dismissed.
He was given credit for time served at the Porter County Jail and placed on probation for 364 days, among other measures in his sentence.
Just over two weeks later, on May 23, 2023, Mura was charged with misdemeanor counts of resisting law enforcement, marijuana possession and being a minor in possession of alcohol.
On June 6, 2023, Mura was charged with misdemeanor counts of theft, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle and disorderly conduct.
Under the terms of the October plea agreement, Mura admitted to probation violations in the 2022 case, was sentenced to time served and was terminated from probation unsatisfactorily.
He pleaded guilty to resisting law enforcement in the second case and theft in the third. The remaining charges in both cases were dismissed.
The 122 days Mura spent in jail after the May 2023 case served as credit toward his sentence of 365 days on formal probation in each of the two latter cases, to be served consecutively.
According to a preliminary investigation of the shooting by state police, officers from Valparaiso and the Porter County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Fairgrounds Park, located at 704 McCord Road, for a report of a suspicious person who reportedly was displaying a handgun.
Officers found a man matching the description near Butterfield Pavilion, the ISP release stated, but he took off running toward Calumet Avenue as officers approached.
During the chase, there was an exchange of gunfire between Mura and the officers.
Mura was shot during the pursuit and was transported to Northwest Health – Valparaiso, where he died.
Valparaiso Police Chief Andrew McIntyre and Porter County Sheriff Jeff Balon requested the ISP’s Criminal Investigations Division investigate the shooting, according to the ISP release.
Valpo Parks shut down the park after the shooting as police continued to investigate at the scene. Valparaiso Police said there was no threat to the public.
