Press Release For Immediate Release To: All local media outlets From: E. Nelson Chipman, Jr., Marshall County Prosecuting Attomey * Date: February 9, 2024 Re: Police action shooting resulting in death on December 24, 2023 Marshall County Prosecutor E. Nelson Chipman, Jr. released today his formal decision on the results of the Indiana State Police investigation into the police action shooting that occurred in northern Marshall County on December 24, 2023 and resulted in the death af Inhnny Lee Iason Wond, 54, with a last known address in Elkhart, IN Officers involved with the shooting are Sgt. Joseph Querciagrossa of the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department and Officer Anthony M. Stachowiak of the Mishawaka Police Department. Chipman determined “the use of a firearm by each officer was justified, and the discharge of both firearms was proper and in accordance with state law. Conseyuently, no criminal charges will be filed” against either officer A more detailed recital of the facts and circumstances is contained in the attached document. -30-The Investigation of a Police Action Shooting Resulting in the Death of Johnny Lee Jason Wood 23 ISPC 020225 1. Introduction ‘The primary events pertaining to this case occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, December 24, 2023. The Indiana State Police was immediately engaged to investigate the circumstances that culminated in a police action shooting death of Johnny Lee Jason Wood, 54, DOB 09/26/1969. The sources of information for the investigation included: recorded interviews of all material witnesses; in-car camera and body worn video camera footage from St. Joseph County Sheriff's department officers; body-warn video camera footage from St Joseph County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Joseph Querciagrossa and Mishawaka PD Officer Anthony M. Stachowiak; all recorded radio transmissions; the initial 911 call from the incident in Roseland; a Standard Crash Report; reports from officers of the respective departments, including investigators assisting with witness interviews and evidence collection; numerous photographs and scene diagrams; results from a scarch warrant directed to Facebook; cellular phone text message exchanges; ISP Crime Scene Investigator reports; autopsy and toxicology reports, including autopsy photographs; officer personnel and training records; department policy manuals; and several other immaterial items totaling in excess of 964 evidentiary submissions, The Indiana State Police were assisted by the Roseland Police Department, the Mishawaka Police Nepartment, the St Toseph County Sheriff's Department, and the Marshall County Coroner's Office. The professionalism displayed throughout the investigation was extraordinarily exceptional at all levels in all the noted law enforeement agencies. 2, Summary of Pertinent Facts On Sunday, December 24, 2023, at 5:05 a.m. shots are reported to the St. Jospeh County 911 Center as being fired at the Raymont Inn and Suites in Roseland, IN. That information is immediately relayed to local law enforcement through the St. Jospeh County Dispatch Center. Officers responded to the hotel and spoke with the complainant, who identified the shooter as Johnny Wood. He further stated Wood fired a single shot at him and his female companion, The shot was made by Wood leaning out of the driver's window of a moving black Lincoln Navigator as he drove through the hotel parking lot, and then the vehicle sped away. The complainant was familiar with ‘Wood, as was the female who had a severely strained personal relationship with Wood. St. Joseph County Sheriff Department Sgt. Joseph Querciagrossa reported he was advised by dispatch of the shots fired incident and that the suspect fled the scene in a black Lincoln Navigator. At the time, Sgt. Querciagrossa was on patrol in the Granger area and, based on the dispatch, began to roll toward Roseland. ‘Traveling on State Road23, Sgt. Querciagrossa observed a black Lincoln Navigator traveling in the opposite direction. Sgt. Querciagrossa did a U-turn and advised dispatch he believed he was following the suspect vehicle. He caught up to the Navigator at the intersection of SR 23 and Capital Avenue and attempted a traflie stop. The Navigator did not stop but instead tuned south on Capital Avenne and a vehicle pursuit began, reaching speeds estimated at 80 m.p.h. The pursuit was impeded by dense fog but traversed the entire length of Capital Avenue. The deployment of stop sticks by a Mishawaka officer proved unsuccessful. The pursuit continued to where Capital Avenue tums into Elm, a two-lane road, and Sgt. Querciagrossa witnessed a near head on collision between the recklessly driven southbound Navigator and & northbound passenger vehicle, (It was subsequently determined the vehicles had indeed made contact with one another causing minor damage, albeit a near tragedy.) Consequently, Sgt Quereiagrossa determined the risk to the motoring public was too great to continue and he advised dispatch he was terminating the pursuit. ‘The Sergeant shut off his emergency lights but continued traveling in the same direction as the Navigator. AS the vehicles traveled south on Elm Road and approached its T-intersection with Tyler Road, Sgt. Querciagrossa observed the Navigator leave the roadway and continue south into a farm field. It was precisely at this point the pursuit entered Marshall County; hence invoking the jurisdiction of the Marshall County Prosecutor's Office over subsequent events. The Sgt. stopped at the intersection and did not follow the Navigator into the field with his vehicle. Several other officers soon arrived and Querciagrossa requested a perimeter he set up. At this time, Mishawaka Police Officer Anthony Stachowiak arrived with his K9. Sat. Querciagrossa retrieved his service rifle, a .223 Remington/5.56X45 NATO semi-automatic, and he along with Officer Stachowiak and the K9 began on foot tracking the suspect into the field ‘A short time after beginning the ack, the offivers located the uow abaundoued Navigator. The field was extremely muddy, and the air thick with fog. They continued the track as the K9 began to pick up a scent, Root prints were observed in the mud ‘Soon the K9 located a revolver in the mud. A quick examination of the gun revealed it was fully loaded with one spent cartridge. Officer Stachowiak and his K9 resumed tracking in an easterly direction from the location of the abandoned Navigalor. Sgt. Querviagrosss closely accompanied as visibility was so poor they had to rely almost entirely upon the K9. Very soon the K9 indicated it was tracking a person and they soon came upon a steeply embanked irrigation ditch. (This was later identified as a legal county drain named the Sarah Hershberger Ditel.) The K9 went down inty the ditch and got entwined in its own leash and bogged down in thick mud requiring Officer Stachowiak to go into the ditch to free the K9 from the entanglement and carry it back to grade. Tracking resumed and approximately 25 fect later the K9 forcefully indicated a subject was in the immediate vicinity and in the ditch. (It should be noted the ditch depth at this location was approximately 18 feet and steeply banked.) Officer Stachowiak’sflashlight beam immediately revealed, in his words, “two legs, blue jeans and an ass.” ‘The K9 was furiously barking and Officer Stachowiak began shouting to the individual to “Show me your hands or you're going to get bit!” Sgt. Quereiagrossa at first did not see the individual and had to step forward to peer further down the steep emhankment ‘The brightly tocnsed tactical light attixed to his service rifle then revealed nestled against the near bank “the butt and jeans of a man crouched down.” Almost simultancously with Stachowiak’s shouting commands, Sgt. Quereiagrossa begins to loudly command “show me your hands,.,, show me your hands!” Stachowiuk’s body worn video camera captures remarkably well the sights and sounds of this moment, The individual does not comply with the officers’ commands but instead can be clearly heard to say, “I’ve got bad knees!” He then pops up to an upright position, outstretching his right arm holding a handgun aimed directly at Sgt. Querciagrossa at an approximate distance of 12 to 15 feet. (Attached as Exhibit One is a still frame from Stachowiak’s body wom video depicting the individual aiming at (Querciagrossa.) Gunfire then commenced from both Sgt. Querciagrossa (rifle) and Officer Stachowiak (9mm Smith & Wesson semi-antomatic handgun) and continued until the threat initiated by the individual ceased. Exhibit Two is a still frame from a body worn video depicting the handgun previously aimed by the individual at Sgt. Querciagrossa, lying in the vicinity of the now prone individual. The firearm was identified as a 9mm Ruger semi-automatic. Examination of the firearm while still in the field revealed it was out of battery and therefore incapable of firing. The evidence establishes no shots were fired by the individual. Life-saving measures are attempted but prove unsuccessful. The deceased is subsequently identified as Johnny Lee Jason Wood, 54 years of age with a DOB of 9/26/1969. On December 26, 2023, the autopsy pathologist concludes the cause of Wood’s death was the result of nine gunshot wounds to the torso and left thigh. 3. Additional Evidence Unknown to the Officers but Corroborative of Wood's Agitated State of Mind ‘As noted earlier, the female at whom Wood fired a single shot from the moving ‘Navigator, had recently been in a personal relationship with Wood. The relationship was ina state of disintegration. Threats of violence couched in obscene rants were repeatedly texted by Wood to the female at all hours of the days leading up to December 24, Eventually, the subject of the texts became one of a supposed financial debt owed by her to him and his demand to collect. ‘On December 23, at 11:01 a.m. by text the female disputes the debt yet again.