The Whitley County Coroner’s Office has released the identity of the man who fired at officers and died in the officer involved shooting on April 20, 2025 in Whitley County.
News release from the Indiana State Police:
Fort Wayne, Indiana (April 22, 2025) – The Whitley County Coroner’s Office has released the identity of the man who fired at officers and died in the officer involved shooting on April 20, 2025 in Whitley County. Christifer Debus (38), of Fort Wayne, was the person involved in the pursuit and the officer involved shooting. The results of the autopsy are pending and the cause of death is still not determined.
It has also been determined that Debus fired, at close range, at an Indiana State Police Trooper after the Trooper attempted a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) to end the pursuit of the homicide suspect. This technique is used by trained law enforcement officers to make contact at a controlled speed to push the rear of the violator vehicle to the point it spins causing the violator to stop. At the conclusion of this investigation all information will be turned over to the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office for review. At this time there is no other information available. The investigation is still ongoing and updates will continue as information does become available.
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