State Police: Man Pointed Weapon Before Shot By Brookville Officers

By Mike Perleberg Donald Parker, Jr. died after being shot by police officers responding to a domestic situation Wednesday morning. Photo via Franklin County Sheriff's Department. (Franklin County, Ind.) - A suspect is dead and two Brookville Police Department officers are on administrative leave following a police-involved shooting Wednesday morning. Donald Parker, Jr., 29, died soon after being taken to the hospital following the shooting outside his grandmother's home where he lived on State Road 101 north of Brookville. Indiana State Police are heading the investigation. Sgt. Stephen Wheeles says a woman - presumably Parker's grandmother - showed up at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department shortly after 5:00 a.m. to report that Parker was acting erratically and causing a disturbance at the home. A Franklin County Sheriff's deputy along with two officers with the Brookville Police Department soon arrived on scene and made contact with Parker. He was allegedly holding at least one firearm while on the porch of the residence. Investigators stand outside the home where Donald Parker Jr. was shot. Photo submitted. "The officers allegedly gave Parker orders to drop the firearm and he did not comply.  Parker then pointed a firearm in the direction of the officers, causing the two Brookville officers to fire their weapons at Parker.  Parker was struck at least once by the officers’ rounds," said Wheeles. The officers immediately rendered first aid to Parker and requested EMS.  Parker was transported to Reid Hospital in Richmond where he was pronounced dead. None of the officers at the scene were hurt. Wheeles says one of the officers involved in the incident is a 17-year veteran of the Brookville Police Department while the second officer has served with the Brookville Police Department for 2 ½ years. "The officer’s names will be withheld at this time.  As per their department protocol, both officers will be placed on administrative leave," Wheeles said. Once the investigation is complete, state police will hand their findings to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office, which will determine whether the officers face charges. Court records in Franklin County show Parker had past run-ins with local police. The county prosecutor says Parker was charged in December after an incident where he kicked a Franklin County Sheriff's deputy. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to Resisting Law Enforcement (class A misdemeanor) and Disorderly Conduct (class B misdemeanor) in Franklin County. He served four days in jail and the following year on probation. Parker was convicted of Battery (class A misdemeanor) in 2012 and received a year of probation. In 2013, he was arrested again in Franklin County for Disorderly Conduct (class B misdemeanor) and sentenced to probation. RELATED STORIES: Suspect Dead After Officer-Involved Shooting In Franklin Co.