Search fatalities

Paul Bennet Jr.

Age :

Gender : Male

Race : Unknown

Date : 01/14/2022

Location : U.S. Highway 20

City : LaGrange

County : LaGrange

State : Indiana

Agency : LaGrange Police Department

Officer(s) :Eric Patterson

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Passenger killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE: Passenger killed during pursuit initiated after LaGrange Police Officer Eric Patterson observed the minivan driver pull into traffic without yielding and then run a stop sign. Patterson activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop, and the driver accelerated away.
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NARRATIVE:
On 01/14/2022, Paul Bennet Jr. was killed while riding as a passenger in a minivan that crashed during a LaGrange Police Department pursuit in LaGrange County. A later Indiana Court of Appeals decision provides a detailed reconstruction of the pursuit and confirms Bennet's identity and death.
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LaGrange Police Officer Eric Patterson initially observed Bennet get into the rear of a minivan driven by Marcus Jermaine Rozier. Patterson then saw Rozier pull into the street in front of other vehicles without yielding and drive through a stop sign without stopping. Patterson activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop.
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Rozier accelerated away. The pursuit continued onto U.S. Highway 20, where the minivan traveled left of the center line and caused other motorists to leave the roadway to avoid collisions. The pursuit continued for approximately ten miles and reached speeds approaching 115 mph.
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After approximately ten miles, the minivan left the roadway and struck what investigators believed was a ditch or culvert. The impact launched the vehicle into the air, and it flipped and rolled.
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Bennet was ejected during the crash. Officers found him approximately 25 feet from where the minivan came to rest, and he was dead at the scene. Another passenger, April McBride, remained inside the vehicle and suffered severe injuries, including multiple broken and shattered ribs, a broken leg, severe concussion and internal bleeding.
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Rozier survived the crash. Patterson saw him exit through a missing side door and run from the wreck. Another responding officer released police dog Dax, after which Rozier stopped and was taken into custody. A subsequent blood test showed amphetamine in Rozier's system.
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Later federal court proceedings disclosed additional information about events preceding the pursuit. Patterson had earlier been dispatched to Interra Bank concerning a potentially fraudulent check involving Bennet. Patterson spoke with Bennet and took possession of a $4,000 check but did not arrest him. Patterson subsequently saw Bennet enter the maroon minivan and later reestablished visual contact with it. Dash-camera video introduced in federal court showed torn checks being thrown from the minivan during the pursuit as the vehicle reached approximately 115 mph.
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Rozier was prosecuted in LaGrange County for offenses arising from the pursuit and crash. A jury convicted him of Level 3 felony resisting law enforcement causing death, Level 4 felony causing death while operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in his blood, and two additional felonies associated with McBride's serious injuries. He received an aggregate 35-year prison sentence. The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed his convictions and prison sentence in 2024.
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The court record also establishes that the pursuit was captured by Patterson's police dash camera. Body-camera footage from K-9 Officer Tyler Smoker documenting the immediate aftermath and Rozier's apprehension was introduced during related federal proceedings.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Eric Patterson was a LaGrange Police Department officer who initiated and conducted the pursuit.
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SOURCE LINKS :

https://public.courts.in.gov/Decisions/api/Document/Opinion?Id=I7c-wXQcfmyp97zmCaWztvdVWPFF0KiQ017gaMSW4-jJtpD_eISAH2rDQpKOAxu10
https://law.justia.com/cases/indiana/court-of-appeals/2024/23a-cr-02506.html
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/in-court-of-appeals/116635149.html
https://www.leagle.com/decision/infdco20240823b27