Police shoot, kill man in Rochester; Indiana State Police investigating
Nov 23, 2024
ROCHESTER, Ind. — Police shot and killed a man in Rochester on Saturday morning.
According to a press release, members of the Rochester Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff's Office responded to a residence on Monroe Street around 10:48 a.m. on a report of a domestic disturbance involving a gun. When police arrived at the scene, they encountered 37-year-old Steven T. Harding of Rochester.
Indiana State Police — the agency investigating the shooting — reported that Harding was armed with a gun when police found him. Law enforcement has also reported that Harding pointed the firearm at police during the encounter.
At some point during their run-in with Harding, an officer with RPD and a deputy with FCSO fired their guns. The gunfire struck Harding, who was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.
ISP has confirmed that no officers or deputies were injured during the shooting. The deputy and officer who fired their guns have been placed on administrative leave, which is part of RPD and FCSO's standard operating procedures for officers and deputies involved in shootings.
The officer and deputy's statuses with their respective departments will be evaluated after ISP's investigation is complete. Once its investigation has concluded, ISP will also turn its findings over to the Fulton County Prosecutor's Office for review.