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WABASH COUNTY - The Silver Lake man who died Thursday in an officer-involved shooting was facing numerous charges, among them possession of a destructive device and arson.
On Friday, Indiana State Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Steven Glass said Dale White, 65, of Silver Lake, was facing charges in Wabash County of intimidation with a destructive device, a level 2 felony; possession of a destructive device, a level 5 felony; arson, a level 4 felony; and intimidation, a level 5 felony.
In Kosciusko County, he was facing charges of resisting arrest, level 6 felony; auto theft, a level 6 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; and resisting arrest, a class A misdemeanor.
According to a Thursday news release from the ISP, just before 9 a.m. Thursday, members of the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department, Wabash City Police Department, Wabash County Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Kosciusko County SWAT went to a residence on Crappie Road to serve a search warrant and multiple felony arrest warrants issued out of both counties.
Upon arrival at the residence, White was found inside the residence. During the execution of the warrants, White was observed armed with a firearm, pointing it in the direction of the officers. In response, one officer discharged their weapon at least once, striking White, the release states.
Despite life-saving measures, White succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured in the incident. The officer involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure.
An affidavit of probable cause filed May 22 in Wabash County Circuit Court states while Wabash County Sheriff’s Department (WCSD) Sgt. Matthew Cox was on duty May 2, around 9:14 p.m. he was advised the Silver Lake Police Department (SLPD) was attempting to locate White after he fled police earlier in the day during a vehicle pursuit. SLPD advised they had reason to believe White was residing at 244 N. Crappie Road, Silver Lake (also known as Twin Lakes in Wabash County). White had an active felony arrest warrant out of Kosciusko County for possession of methamphetamine.
Around 12:07 a.m. May 3, Cox and another officer arrived in Twin Lakes to locate White. White was seen exiting the trailer and walking into a nearby shed. The officers walked to the area and waited for White to leave the shed to arrest him on his outstanding warrant. Another deputy arrived and parked his vehicle in the trailer’s driveway. After knocking near the door of the shed and identifying themselves as police officers several times, they received no response.
Cox then walked to the trailer, knocked on it and again identified as police. White’s wife exited the front door and spoke to Cox at 1:07 a.m. She said White was not there and volunteered consent for the police to search the property, including the shed.
Upon Cox and another officer nearing the partially opened door of the shed, White yelled, “I have a gun” multiple times and slammed the door shut. Officers then retreated to concealment behind the marked police vehicle. White then placed what appeared to be a shotgun in the shed window and began waving it around. The affidavit states that White’s actions demonstrated his violent intention and placed Cox in fear for his life. The Wabash ERT was activated due to White’s actions. He then began nailing the shed’s door shut with hammer and nails at 1:15 a.m.
As officers waited for the ERT, over 45 minutes White could be heard further fortifying and barricading the structure. He also made several statements, including, “If I’m going to die, everybody is going to die.”
Around 2:32 a.m., additional ERT members arrived on scene with an armored vehicle. At 2:35 a.m., White lit a fire in the shed causing visible flames. Officers then began an attempt to evacuate the other occupants of the property for their safety.
Around 2:44 a.m., officers began making announcements to White due to the visible fire within. They encouraged him to break out the door’s window and exit the shed since it was on fire and that his life was potentially in jeopardy. White began yelling and stated he wanted to die.
Around 2:55 a.m., officers heard a loud noise, consistent with a small caliber or muffled gunshot, from within the shed. As White did not have a cell phone, no attempts to negotiate in the events were attempted via phone.
Around 3:11 a.m., a search warrant was granted for the property and White’s person. ERT members began executing the search warrant. Around 3:50 a.m., active negotiations and communication with White began.
Around 4:01 a.m., White told officers, “The door’s (inaudible), it’s going to blow up.” He then described that he had two propane tanks and a 5-gallon can of gasoline near the door and that he intended to “blow it up.” White repeatedly made comments that he desired to die.
Around 4:19 a.m., a “non-heat producing chemical agent” was introduced into the structure in an attempt to dislodge White from the structure safely. Officers continued to encourage him to break the front door’s window and exit the shed, but White failed to comply and continued stating his intent to die.
At 4:37 a.m., an additional non-heat producing chemical agent was introduced into the structure but communication with White deteriorated.
With all things considered, Cox authorized the breaching of the structure with the armored vehicle, which began at 5:20 a.m. At this point, White began yelling and stated he was going to “set the propane off.” Officers were able to create a hole in the rear of the shed with the armored vehicle. While breaching the shed, White started a large fire inside the shed and set off what sounded like fireworks. The shed eventually became engulfed with flames. Officers continued attempts at negotiating with White to exit the shed as the fire grew.
Around 5:35 a.m., with the fire quickly growing, it was determined the fire could be extinguished safely, which began around 5:48 a.m. The fire appeared extinguished by 5:51 a.m. White relit a fire inside at 5:52 a.m. These actions repeated themselves a few times over several minutes.
According to the affidavit, eventually White could be heard screaming as the fire continued. At 5:58 a.m., White finally complied for the first time and crawled out the opening that had been breached with the armored vehicle. White was safely placed into custody. Due to White appearing in need of immediate medical attention, he was evacuated to a nearby ambulance on scene for treatment. He eventually was flown via helicopter to an Indianapolis hospital for medical treatment.
During execution of the search warrant, officers found a pellet gun with an enlarged barrel inside the shed; a 20-gallon propane tank propped up against the backside of the door, a 30-gallon propane tank and a 1-gallon gas can.
On May 5, Cox was advised by hospital staff that White was in stable condition but on a ventilator.
A probable cause affidavit filed May 13 in Kosciusko Circuit/Superior Court states on May 7 Silver Lake deputy Marshal K. Williams sat stationary on Pleasant Street in Silver Lake and observed White operate a mo-ped. White lost control, veered into the oncoming traffic and entered the grassy area. Williams knew White had an outstanding warrant and initiated a traffic stop.
Marshall spoke with White and told him he had an outstanding warrant from Kosciusko County. The officer advised White to turn off the mo-ped, White refused to comply and he argued with the officer. The officer grabbed White’s left arm, White placed his right hand on the throttle and attempted to accelerate away from Williams.
Williams escorted White to the ground and used his body weight to restrain White. White refused to place his hands behind his back. Williams deployed his taser and administered three drive stuns.
White was handcuffed, transported to Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital and admitted for medical treatment.
Silver Lake Town Marshal J. McGlennen arrived to assist and learned the mo-ped belonged to someone else and was reported stolen out of DeKalb County.
In a prior incident, according to another probable cause affidavit, on May 2 Williams was on patrol on CR 950S and observed two mo-peds approach a stop sign and the black mo-ped disregarded the stop sign. Williams activated his emergency lights and attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the black mo-ped and operator, later identified as White. The other mo-ped and the operator pulled to the side of the road.
White refused to stop and the officer activated his emergency siren. White accelerated more, turned into a driveway and then accelerated in to a cornfield.
Additional law enforcement officers assisted to set up a perimeter. Williams spoke with the other mo-ped driver who said White was driving the black mo-ped and was wearing a black jacket and blue jeans.
Law enforcement was unable to locate White and the black mo-ped. Williams learned that White had an outstanding warrant out of Kosciusko County.
