Shelby County police chase ends after shot fired

A police chase led to law-enforcement firing a shot at the fleeing vehicle, leading to the arrest of the driver.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department says that at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, Lt. Travis Maloney tried to stop a speeding vehicle that was heading east on State Road 44. Authorities say that the driver, Cody Johnson, of Shelbyville, refused to stop and led the officer on a high-speed pursuit.

A department spokesman says that Johnson continued into Rush County, where he ran off of the roadway briefly, but regained control of the vehicle and continued to flee. Authorities say that the chase continued in to the small town of Manilla, when Johnson ran off the road again, this time in the 8800 block of West County Road 250 South. Sheriff’s officials say that Lt. Maloney then got out of his police car and ordered Johnson to get out of his car. Johnson then allegedly backed his vehicle in the direction of the officer, resulting in Maloney firing one shot that struck Johnson’s vehicle. Johnson then stopped his vehicle and surrendered, say authorities.

Johnson is being held in the Rush County Jail, as that was where he was arrested. There has been no word on when, or if, Johnson will be in the custody of Shelby County authorities. They say that charges are pending and that the investigation is ongoing. Authorities stress that neither Johnson nor Lt. Maloney were injured.