Delaware County prosecutor: No officer charges in fatal April 2024 police chase
Delaware County’s prosecutor is not charging a Henry County police officer that chased a fleeing car into Delaware County last April, even though that traffic stop had a fatal end. But, as IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, the investigation into what happened does say errors were made.
Just after 6:00 AM on April 18, 2024, a Henry County sheriff’s deputy followed a suspected impaired driver into Delaware County at high speed into some of the city’s busiest areas. The driver – Zacery Angrim of Van Buren – ended up crashing into another car at McGalliard Road and Tillotson Avenue. His passenger, Nicholas Wollum, died at the scene. Both drivers were injured. And the chase snarled traffic for much of that day.
Delaware County prosecutor Eric Hoffman was tasked to decide whether to charge the deputy in continuing a reckless pursuit. Because he is not being charged, he is not named in the statement from Hoffman’s office.
Hoffman’s investigation points out that while the police chase only lasted about 15 minutes, it went past three elementary schools, a middle school, Ball State University, and blew through several stop signs and red lights at speeds up to 100 miles an hour.
Hoffman writes that there were “no fewer than 10 instances where the pursuit should have been terminated so as not to endanger innocent human life.”
Read: Hoffman’s statement
Hoffman says that responsibility lies with the deputy’s supervisors at the Henry County Sheriff’s Department. Last year, the department confirmed to an Indianapolis TV station that the day shift supervisor was on duty, but “not actively involved in the pursuit.” No supervisor ordered the deputy to end the chase.
Hoffman says that since the deputy’s supervisors were located in Henry County during the entirety of the chase, he doesn’t have the authority to charge them with anything.
Antrim, the driver of the car that fled, is charged with eight counts, including felony counts of criminal recklessness and resisting law enforcement.
The chase was the second fatal traffic stop in 2024. In January, another chase through Muncie – this time from the Muncie Police Department – flipped a non-involved vehicle, killing a 30-year-old Muncie man.
Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host. Contact her at [email protected].
