Lawrence County prosecutor clears officers involved in fatal Mitchell shooting

The Associated Press
Updated ·1 min read
This photo provided by Indiana State Police shows the scene of a fatal shooting in Mitchell, Ind., Feb. 5, 2023. A prosecutor has cleared two Indiana law enforcement officers of any criminal wrongdoing in a fatal shooting in February. City of Mitchell Police Officer Christian Anderson and Lawrence County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Rhoades exchanged gunfire with Anthony Richmond during a traffic stop on Feb. 5 in the city of Mitchell.

MITCHELL, Ind. (AP) — A prosecutor has cleared two Indiana law enforcement officers of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with a fatal shooting during a traffic stop in February.

Lawrence County Prosecutor Samuel C. Arp II said he has reviewed the incident and decided City of Mitchell Police Officer Christian Anderson and Lawrence County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Rhoades' actions were justified, WXIN-TV reported Monday.

According to Indiana State Police, the officers stopped 29-year-old Anthony Richmond of West Baden Springs on Feb. 5 for a traffic violation in Mitchell, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis. They discovered drugs in his car and were trying to handcuff Richmond when he fled on foot.

The officers chased Richmond down. He pulled out a handgun and fired at them at point-blank range, the state police said. Anderson was hit once and Rhoades was hit twice. Either Rhoades or Anderson managed to return fire, killing him.

Both officers survived their wounds.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Mail: Prosecutor: actions of officers justified fatal Mitchell traffic stop