A road rage confrontation in Hancock County, Indiana, turned deadly when a man shot and killed an allegedly unarmed aggressor. The Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office has decided not to press charges against the shooter, citing self-defense.
Incident Details
According to investigators, the incident occurred on July 21 when two vehicles, a Volkswagen Jetta and a Dodge Journey, were traveling from Marion County into Hancock County. The driver of the Dodge, 37-year-old Kevin Powell of Indianapolis, reportedly began following the Volkswagen at an extremely close distance, less than a foot off the other car’s bumper.
When the two vehicles stopped in a construction zone, Powell exited his vehicle and aggressively approached the Volkswagen, allegedly telling the driver, ‘You shouldn’t be driving on my road that fast, motherf*.’ The Volkswagen driver, who has not been named, stepped out of his vehicle armed with a handgun after Powell continued to advance towards him.
The prosecutor’s office stated that Powell was the aggressor throughout the confrontation and had threatened bodily harm to the Volkswagen driver. The driver fired several shots, striking Powell more than once, and he succumbed to his injuries.
Prosecutor’s Decision
Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton said, ‘The evidence in this case establishes that the Dodge driver followed the Volkswagen at an extraordinarily close distance; exited his vehicle and initiated the confrontation; aggressively approached the occupied Volkswagen; threatened bodily harm; challenged the Volkswagen driver to retrieve a firearm and exit the vehicle; briefly turned toward his own vehicle; and then renewed his approach despite repeated verbal warnings to stop and return to his vehicle.’
Eaton added that the law in Indiana is clear: if someone is in fear for their life, they do not have a duty to retreat and can use deadly force. The prosecutor’s office determined that the shooting fell under Indiana’s self-defense law.
Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.
