A rural North Vernon man is behind bars after an early Sunday morning incident which led to an exchange of gunfire with a Scott County Deputy,
Todd A. Lacey, 52, of the 2000 block of County Road 525 E was taken into custody early Sunday afternoon and is facing felony charges of criminal recklessness, intimidation and resisting law enforcement all with a weapon.
Around 5:45 Sunday morning, April 11, a Scott County Deputy was on patrol on SR 256 near Terry Road east of Austin when he saw an off-road vehicle (ATV) turn east on SR 256 from Terry Road without stopping at the stop sign.
The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on the ATV, but the vehicle fled into a nearby field, according to Scott County Sheriff Jerry Goodin. Shortly after entering the field, the deputy reported the ATV stopped abruptly, and the deputy exited his patrol vehicle and continued the pursuit, approaching the suspect on foot.
“The deputy reported that he heard what he believed to be gunfire, and the deputy returned fire as he took cover behind a nearby house trailer,” Goodin said.
When additional officers arrived, they did not locate the suspect near the ATV. Immediate attempts to locate the suspect were unsuccessful.
Indiana State Police, Indiana Conservation Officers, Austin City Police, Scottsburg City Police, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department joined in the search for the suspect.
Around 1:30 pm, ICO K-9 Smoky and his handler, ICO Jim Schreck, along with ISP Trooper Brett Walters, located the Lacey hiding in a wooded area a short distance from the original scene.
Lacey was incarcerated in Washington County Jail before his initial appearance before Scott Circuit Court Judge Jason Mount this past Friday. Mount set Lacey’s bond at $75,000 and he remains in custody at Scott County Jail.
Neither Lacey nor the deputy were injured in the exchange of gunfire, Goodin said.
