On Saturday morning, around 5:30 am, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call of a shooting that had just occurred in Bedford.
When officers arrived they found a 21-year-old male deceased from a gunshot wound. Witnesses on the scene were able to provide information and informed officers that the suspects, later identified as 38-year-old, Casey C. Brown, of Ft. Ritnerfor, and 39-year-old, Bradley Harper Jr, of Bedford, had fled the scene in a vehicle.
Around 1 PM, the vehicle was located by Paoli Police and Orange County Sheriff’s officers, as it pulled into a gas station on Main Street in Paoli, and officers conducted a felony stop, ordering the two occupants out of the vehicle. Harper surrendered and was taken into custody without incident, but Brown, refused to exit and an hours-long stand-off ensued.
Officers and Indiana State Police Emergency Response Team members on the scene attempted to negotiate with Brown and later utilized numerous less lethal techniques, including deploying pepper balls and gas canisters into the vehicle. However, Brown, who was displaying a firearm, continued to disregard commands and refused to surrender.
Eventually, Brown used the handgun and received a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers immediately removed Brown from the vehicle and administered life-saving measures. EMS, who was already on the scene, took over and transported Brown to IU Health in Paoli, and he was then flown to the University of Louisville Hospital.
According to the Jasper Indiana State Police Post, there were no officers or members of the public injured during the standoff.
Harper was transported back to Lawrence County for questioning and Brown is in law enforcement custody at the hospital on charges of murder and attempted murder.
The shooting victim has been identified as Kobe Stancombe, age 21 of Bedford. The family has been notified.
The investigation is ongoing, but preliminary information gathered shows that Brown, Harper, Stancombe, and a female knew each other and were all together in the vehicle Brown and Harper used to flee the scene when the shooting occurred. In addition to Stancombe being shot, it is believed that multiple shots were fired at the female as she fled from the vehicle.
