One dead after hours-long SWAT standoff in South Bend

SOUTH BEND, IN (WSBT) — Indiana State Police say a drug investigation turned into an hours-long SWAT situation, an exchange of gunfire, and one-man dead on the city’s southeast side.

Several police cars were lined up Wednesday afternoon in the area of Lincoln Way East and Eldora Court.

That’s just south of IU South Bend’s campus.

This all started when police tried to serve a search warrant.

That led to the suspect attempting to run from police for about half a block before returning to his home, barricading himself inside.

WSBT learned from the Indiana State Police that suspect fired at officers from inside the home.

Officers did return gunfire as the standoff continued for hours.

Eventually, officers heard gunfire from inside the home and then made their way in to find the suspect dead.

We expect to learn more on that suspect as this develops.

A neighbor said he was here when this all began around 1:00.

“I heard a big boom, I look out the window and see smoke. And we ran out of the house and I thought the church was on fire. But when I went over there, there was a cop car with the lights on and I ran over there and said hey is something wrong with the church and he said ‘no, no. Back off, back off,” exclaimed Mark Johnson, neighbor.

Several neighbors left their homes and watched from down the block and said they feared for their safety watching this all play out.

“We ran out of the house and I thought the church was on fire. I ran over there and said ‘hey, is there something wrong with the church?’ And he said ‘no, no. Back off, back off!’ Well pretty soon detectives, state cops and unmarked cops all started coming everywhere,” said Johnson.

Lincoln Way East has reopened.

Several officers continue working this scene.