NORTH VERNON, Ind. – Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding released his findings on Friday into the April 9, 2023, officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of Danielle R. Blake, age 23 in North Vernon.
Indiana State Police-Versailles Post detectives conducted the investigation. They filed a 24-page report after reviewing all evidence, witness statements, body camera videos, documents, and laboratory reports and presented their findings to the prosecutor. Below is the summary.
North Vemon Police Department Officers, Sgt. Adam Driver and Officer Allen were dispatched to an apartment on Thomas Drive, in North Vemon, for a domestic disturbance call. Officers spoke to the caller, a relative of Blake, who had gone to her apartment to talk to her about going to the hospital to get evaluated. A confrontation between the two ensued and Blake threatened the relative with a golf club which prompted the call to police.
Sgt. Driver told Blake to come out or they would come in. She responded, “Go ahead and try, I dare you. I’ll stab you.” Driver saw her pick up a 10-12-inch knife and retreat to the back of the apartment. At that point, the officer said he was concerned for Blake’s safety and did not know if she was attempting to hurt herself or exit out the back which could pose a potential danger to someone else.
Jennings County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived and they, along with Sgt. Driver and Officer Allen, entered the apartment and located Blake in the bathroom with the door closed. She refused the officer’s repeated commands to come out. Officer Allen breached the door and observed Blake on the floor next to the bathtub holding her knife. She was repeatedly told to drop the knife but refused.
Deputies tried to taser her to no avail. Blake jumped into the bathtub behind her and made stabbing motions with the knife. A deputy picked up a golf club that was in the bathroom and told Blake that he would hit her with it if she did not drop the knife. She did not. The deputy tried to knock the knife out of her hand but was not able to get her to release it. Blake then stepped out of the tub, raised the knife, and began advancing aggressively toward the deputy and stated, “I will kill you.”
Both officers and the deputy said they felt their lives were in danger. Sgt. Driver and Officer Allen fired their duty weapons striking Blake. She was given immediate medical attention but later passed away.
In his summary, Prosecutor Belding stated, “Therefore, considering all the evidence, Sgt. Driver and Officer Allen were justified in using deadly force in defense of themselves and Deputy Seastrom on April 9, 2023. There will be no criminal liability on the part of Sgt. Driver and Officer Allen.”
