***MEDIA ADVISORY***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 19, 2014

GRAND JURY TO REVIEW POLICE ACTION SHOOTING OF JOSEPH LEE

Media Contact: Curtis T. Hill, Jr. (574) 296-1888

Curtis T. Hill, Jr., Prosecuting Attorney, has requested a grand jury be called to review the fatal police action shooting of Joseph A. Lee, 32, of Goshen, which occurred in September, 2014. At the time of the event, multiple arrest warrants were outstanding for Lee due to allegations of violent criminal acts. Officers attempting to serve those warrants encountered Lee in an apartment in the Washington Gardens community, which led to a chase and the eventual shooting death of Lee by law enforcement officers. The grand jury will review the actions of several police officers who attempted to arrest Lee and fatally shot him.

Under Indiana law, a grand jury is an investigative body authorized to hear and examine evidence concerning events during which criminal activity may have occurred. The prosecuting attorney will present evidence gathered in the investigation to the grand jury for their consideration. The grand jury is the exclusive judge of facts with respect to any matter it considers, and may subpoena any person to provide information if it believes that person may have evidence it wishes to consider. After deliberation the grand jury will recommend what, if any, further action should be taken in the matter under review. The prosecuting attorney is the legal advisor of the grand jury and must approve any indictment for it to be valid.

The Elkhart Circuit Court is summoning the grand jury to commence on the 20th day of January, 2015, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The proceedings are secret and will not be open to the public pursuant to I.C. 35-34-2-4.

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“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”