BEDFORD – Lawrence County Prosecutor Sam Arp has ruled the officer-involved shooting that ended in the death of 47-year-old Daymond Hubbard was justified.
Hubbard was taken to IU Health Bedford Hospital, where he died from gunshot wounds.
Prosecutor Arp said before ruling, he reviewed an 86-page police report issued by the Indiana State Police, Hubbard’s autopsy report. He also was at the incident scene and reviewed scene photos, body camera footage, and interviews with the officers involved.
He initially reviewed video footage of Sondra Hubbard, who went to the Bedford Police Department to report she was attempting to get a protective order against her son Daymond. She told the police she had asked Daymond to leave her home and not come back.
She then informed the police that Daymond was very intimidating and told her that if she ever went to the police, he would kill her. She stated that Daymond had followed her from her home to the police station, and she did not feel safe.
Daymond’s brother Shane then arrived at the police station and told officers they better find Daymond before he did.
Officers accompanied Sondra and Shane back to their home so they could remove Daymond’s 84-year-old father safely from the home.
According to past police logs, officers had responded to the Hubbard home many times over complaints about Daymond, including reports of drug use, threats of violence, threats of suicide, and threats against law enforcement.
Once officers arrived at the home at 2755 Western Avenue, they looked for Daymond. He was located near the residence’s rear, driving through the backyard. Officers ordered him to stop, and he exited the vehicle.
He refused to comply with officers’ commands and became verbally combative. He then blinded the officers with a hand-held spotlight.
Using a ballistic shield, officers approached Daymond’s vehicle and continued their attempts to de-escalate the situation.
He got back into the vehicle and attempted to flee, nearly striking officers with the vehicle.
Officers used their patrol vehicles to pin Daymond’s vehicle, making contact with the passenger side door. Daymond then put the vehicle in reverse and struck another police vehicle. He then placed the vehicle in drive and headed toward the officers. Officers discharged their weapons, striking Daymond and his vehicle. They immediately assessed his injuries, called for an ambulance, and provided life-saving measures.
The officers involved were:
- Sergeant Toby Gerkin
- Officer Clay Blackburn
- Officer Nick Crulo
- Officer Brent Thompkins
Toxicology reports determined Daymond’s blood-alcohol level was 0.097 percent and had the presence of amphetamines.
