https://www.wishtv.com/news/crime-watch-8/carmel-police-fatally-shoot-man-who-fired-shots-at-police-car-pointed-gun-at-officers/by: Staff Reports

Posted: Jan 31, 2021 / 01:40 PM EST / Updated: Jan 31, 2021 / 05:58 PM EST

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — A man died Sunday after Carmel police say he fired shots from his home and pointed a “high-powered rifle” at officers, who then shot him.

Officers with the Carmel Police Department responded around 11:25 a.m. to the 400 block of West Main Street on a call of a potentially suicidal person. On the way to the call, officers were told by witnesses in the area that shots were being fired from inside the house into the neighborhood, Lt. Tim Byrne with Carmel Police Department said at the scene.

Officers arrived and also observed shots being fired, set up a perimeter outside the house and began evacuating people living nearby.

Carmel police SWAT officers also responded to the scene, and they were attempting to make contact with the person. During that time, 60-year-old Keith Scales, of Carmel, stepped out of the house with what police believed was a “high-powered rifle” and talked to officers. Then, he raised the rifle toward officers, and officers “engaged the threat,” Byrne said.

Scales was struck and was taken to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, where he died. Byrne did not say how many times Scales was shot.

Police believe Scales was the only person inside the home.

Scales had fired numerous shots from inside the home, shooting multiple vehicles, including a police car, Byrne said. Those shots are all believed to have been fired before Scales came outside, Byrne said.

All Carmel officers by policy wear body cameras, but Byrne said he did not know whether officers at the scene had activated those cameras. He also police were working to learn if there was video from dashboard cameras or nearby porch security cameras.

Any officer who may have fired shots in the incident will be placed on administrative leave as the investigation in conducted, Byrne said, but did not know how many officers that would be. Fishers Police Department will be handling the investigation “in order to ensure impartiality.”