NEW ALBANY – Authorities are actively searching for 33-year-old Austin Dakota Schepers, who is wanted in connection with the shooting of an Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy early Friday morning, January 3rd. Schepers is considered armed and dangerous, and law enforcement is urging the public not to approach him.
Schepers, whose last known address is in Jasper, Indiana, is identified as the suspect in the shooting that took place outside of West Baden. Indiana State Police and detectives from Jasper, Sellersburg, and Bloomington districts have been working tirelessly to locate him. A Blue Alert was issued to gather information and track the suspect.
Schepers is described as a white male, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing around 150 pounds. He is known to have neck tattoos and a cross tattoo under his left eye.
Indiana State Police detectives received a tip Friday afternoon that Schepers might be at a residence in the 1800 block of East Market Street in New Albany. Acting on this lead, officers applied for and received a search warrant. When they arrived at the property, attempts were made to contact Schepers and encourage him to surrender peacefully. Indiana State Police hostage negotiators were also on-site to help resolve the situation without further violence.
Despite the efforts to bring him in safely, Schepers was not found at the residence during the execution of the search warrant. Law enforcement continues to search for the suspect, emphasizing that Schepers should not be approached as he is considered dangerous.
Anyone who may have seen Schepers or knows his whereabouts is urged to contact 911 immediately. The public should stay alert and report any suspicious activity to authorities.
