Prosecutor: South Bend officer justified in shooting man

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A prosecutor says a northern Indiana police officer who shot and critically wounded a man was justified in shooting him.

Authorities say South Bend police Officer Samuel Chaput shot 27-year-old Terrance Eppenger of South Bend on Tuesday evening. St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter said Thursday that “at this point the investigation is completed” into Tuesday evening’s shooting.

Several witnesses told investigators they believed Chaput was in serious danger and believe he was justified in firing his weapon.

Officers were called to the scene to investigate a report of an unwanted person who refused to leave. Police records say Chaput reported being hit and scratched in the face by Eppenger before the shooting. The officer was treated at a hospital and released.

Eppenger has been hospitalized since the shooting.

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