This story has been updated with additional information.
LAFAYETTE, IN — Police say officers shot and killed a 50-year-old man early Friday in the 200 block of Porsche Lane on the city’s east side after the man made a move as if to retrieve a weapon.
Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello said Friday afternoon that her office is asking for help to find the next of kin of Rodolfo Requenes Jr. He was about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed about 215 pounds.
About 12:25 a.m., an LPD officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle near the intersection of South Street and Sagamore Parkway on suspicion of impaired driving, according to a news release from police. During the stop, Requenes made statements indicating a risk of harm to himself before fleeing the scene in his vehicle.
LPD officers, following departmental policy, did not initiate a vehicle pursuit, the release said.
LPD officers continued efforts to find the vehicle. About 1:16 a.m., officers saw the vehicle on Frontage Road, and the suspect drove to the Waterford Court Apartments complex, where LPD units were joined by troopers from the Indiana State Police.
Requenes parked his vehicle in the 200 block of Porsche Lane East.
“When officers confronted him, the suspect was non-compliant with verbal commands and stated he was armed with a weapon,” police said. “The suspect then moved his hand to his waistband behind his back as if he was preparing to brandish a weapon, which directly resulted in the officer-involved shooting.”
Officers immediately rendered medical aid to Requenes, who died at the scene. There were no other occupants in the vehicle, and no officers or civilian bystanders were injured.
Per standard protocol for officer-involved critical incidents, the involved LPD officers have been placed on administrative leave. Police did not say how many officers were involved or whether they found a weapon on him.
ISP helping in the investigation, Lafayette police said.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette, state police investigating officer-involved shooting fatality
Reporting by Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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