SALEM — Indiana State Police have determined a fatal shooting in Salem early Sunday morning to be justified after learning the victim was being violent towards residents in the home.
Police said they were notified around midnight that a person had been shot inside a house in the 500 block of North College Avenue.
When officers entered the residence, they found an adult male with gunshot injuries lying on the floor. Police said paramedics quickly responded but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was identified as 29-year-old Jacob Richard Mitchell.
Another adult male and two adult females were present at the house during the shooting, police said. All three were transported to the Washington County Justice Center for questioning.
After further investigation, police learned that Mitchell was being violent towards the other residents of the home.
At one point, Mitchell charged at the other male resident in the home, which is when the male said he fired fatal shots.
The male immediately called 911 and he and the other two women engaged in life-saving measures. He also repeatedly urged police to come quickly to attempt to save Mitchell.
Police learned that Mitchell was allowed to stay in the home rented by the male after he had gotten into legal trouble in Lawrence County. Mitchell was involved in a case alleging domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend and had a prior domestic battery conviction against a different victim from January 2023.
"The constitution protects innocent people. Indiana law provides that a citizen has a right to defend themselves and third parties, and the judicial process worked here. After a thorough assessment of the events that occurred, it has been determined that Henry acted in self- defense, and in the interest of justice no criminal charges will result from the investigation conducted in this matter and he will be released from custody today," Indiana State Police said in a press release.
