State police are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Muncie, where the man killed by police is the brother of Delaware County’s sheriff.
The Indiana State Police say the Muncie Police Department was called to a home early Thursday morning by a concerned neighbor worried about a domestic dispute. After making contact with the people inside, the local SWAT team was called and negotiations began.
Muncie police officers said when they heard gunshots coming from inside the house and saw a man come to a window with what looked like a gun, officers fired. The Indiana State Police say he is Richard Skinner. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Skinner is the brother of Delaware County Sheriff Tony Skinner. Richard Skinner has a history of criminal offenses and was facing charges in three ongoing local court cases – all for domestic battery or violence.
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Department says it was not involved in the early morning police action. The department’s spokesman says Skinner at times had been held in the Delaware County jail, but had not received any special treatment for being related to the sheriff.
Indiana State Police say the shooting investigation continues.