Indiana sheriff’s deputy killed by prison inmate who stole jail van during escape attempt: police

An Indiana sheriff’s deputy was killed Monday after being attacked by a jail inmate charged with murder who stole a van during an escape attempt before crashing the vehicle into a pole, authorities said. 

The inmate was being returned to the Marion County jail in Indianapolis after a hospital visit when he attacked a Marion County Sheriff’s deputy inside the detention center’s sally port. 

He was able to gain control of the sheriff’s van, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said. 

The suspect fled the Criminal Justice Center complex in the van but crashed in the 3000 block of Prospect Street, a short distance away. Deputies took the suspect into custody. 

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At least one deputy sustained minor injuries while taking down the suspect, police said. The suspect and sheriff’s Deputy John Durm were transported to a nearby hospital. The suspect, identified as Orlando Mitchell, was in stable condition. Durm was declared dead at the hospital.

Durm, 61, had been with the sheriff’s department for nearly 40 years, Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal told reporters. Durm’s wife and son also work for the department, he said. 

Authorities said Durm will be given the honors he deserves as a “fallen hero.”

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Mitchell will be arrested on suspicion of homicide once he is released from the hospital, police said. He was already in jail on a murder charge for allegedly killing his son’s mother outside a daycare last year, FOX 59 reported. 

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“The investigation at this point shows clearly that this was an intentional act of homicide,” said IMPD Assistant Chief of Police Chris Bailey. 

In a statement, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the “city grieves the tragic loss of Marion County Deputy John Durm. We will be forever grateful for his service to the Indianapolis community.”