Martin County Sheriff's Office

2018-10-24 18:58:58

This past Monday and Tuesday evening the Sheriff’s Office hosted our 5th Ladies’ Shooting Course. Everyone had a great time! During the two-day course, all the ladies learned about gun safety, right-to-carry laws, marksmanship, and self-defense. Thank you to the ladies who attended and ALL the officers who made this happen. A special thanks to our Reserve Deputies, who donated their time; Dave Harder, from Harder’s Gun Shop; LPD Officer Kevin McBeth, ICO Tony Mann, ICO (ret.) Tony Sanders, Nathan Wolfe, and our lead instructor, ICO Eric Doane. Congrats to the Fall class Top Gun, Kayla Abel, her mother Jamie Truelove came in with a close second, and Peggy Lyon with a very respectable 3rd place! Our Spring 2019 roster is full, and we will be calling those ladies soon when we have Spring dates set. We still have slots for Summer 2019 if you haven’t called the Sheriff’s Office yet, you may call 812-247-3726 to reserve your spot. Thank you, Sheriff Roush

2018-10-19 19:12:55

Warrant Service Leads to Foot Chase and Additional Charges in Martin County In Eastern Martin County, at approximately 12:30 p.m., on Thursday, the 18th of October, Sheriff Travis Roush arrived at a residence to serve an Orange County warrant, for methamphetamine offenses, on Michael Allen Sluder, age 41, of Shoals. Sluder was working under his vehicle, when the Sheriff pulled into the driveway. Initially, Sluder acted without suspicion, until the Sheriff informed him of the warrant and was preparing to handcuff and search Sluder. At that time, Sluder took off, at a dead sprint, East on Stiles Road, towards U.S. Highway 50. The Sheriff pursued on foot for nearly a quarter mile before Sluder entered the woods. Shortly thereafter, the Sheriff apprehended Sluder, as he was crossing a stream. Upon searching Sluder, the Sheriff discovered a crystal substance, which later field tested positive for methamphetamine. Sheriff Roush advised dispatch that Sluder was in custody, and then Orange County advised that Holly Sluder, who was found to be on the property, was also wanted on an Orange County Felony Warrant. Captain Tony Dant then arrived and arrested and transported her to the Orange County Jail. Sluder was transported to the Martin County Jail without further incident and booked on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, a Level 6 Felony, and Resisting Law Enforcement, a Class A Misdemeanor, with no bond until initial court hearing. Arrested and Charges Michael Allen Sluder, age 41, of Shoals 1.) Possession of Methamphetamine; Level 6 Felony 2.) Resisting Law Enforcement; Class A Misdemeanor Holly Sluder, age 34, of Shoals 1.) Orange County Felony Warrant All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

2018-10-04 13:30:31

***UPDATE*** Thank you for all the shares. This friendly guy's owner has been located! He will be going home shortly. We found this friendly guy in Shoals this morning. If you know who he belongs to, please contact the Sheriff's Office at 812-247-3726.

2018-09-10 18:16:23

3rd Annual Martin County Safe Community Campaign event planned for Saturday September 29 The 3rd annual Martin County Safe Community Campaign Event will be held on Saturday, September 29th, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., at West Boggs Park. This very successful event is a way that the community and its police, fire, and other first responders can come together for a day of fun and information sharing. As a way to further help and unite the community, officers are again teaming up with the Martin County area food banks for a food drive during the event. Food bank volunteers will be accepting food items and monetary donations throughout the day. Approximately 12,000 food items as well as many monetary donations have been donated by community members during the two previous Safe Community events. This third annual community event will feature First Responders and informational displays from local and state Police agencies as well as area EMS, Fire and Rescue units. Several law enforcement and Rescue vehicles will be on display as well as other tactical and rescue gear. The event will be free to the public and will feature several speakers and programs as well as food and door prizes. Please make plans now to show your support for area First Responders and our community.

2018-09-05 18:48:17

Save the Date! The Annual Martin County Safe Community Campaign Event will be held on Saturday, September 29th, 2018 at West Boggs Lake Beach. Time to be determined. Law enforcement officials and representatives from many different agencies and programs will be attending. Our goal is to surpass last year’s food bank donations for our local Martin County Food Banks. Plan to come out and support the community! More information coming soon…

2018-08-31 19:29:34

Two Arrested for Theft and Fraud at the Shoals Jay C Store During an investigation in conjunction with Kroger’s loss prevention representatives on Wednesday, August 29th, it was discovered that two (2) Shoals Jay C employees had stolen over $4000 (combined) by making fraudulent Western Union transactions and keeping the money from these transactions. The thefts occurred between July 23rd and August 26th, 2018. Arrests: Melissa Gibson, 35, of Shoals is charged with Theft, a level 6 felony and posted a bond of $25,000-10%. Patty Tolbert,44, of Loogootee is charged with Theft, a level 6 felony and posted a bond of $25,000-10%.

2018-08-23 17:20:30

A Handgun was found late last week on US Highway 231 S, near the Grain Bins. If this pistol belongs to you, please call the Sheriff's Office at 812-247-3726.

2018-08-21 16:43:23

Attention: The Sheriff's Sale scheduled for today at 2:00 p.m. has been CANCELLED.

2018-08-17 18:55:07

Indiana Hunter Education Course

2018-08-16 22:18:17

This dog has been missing in the Loogootee area since yesterday. It is very friendly and up to date on it’s shots. If you see this dog, or have any information about it, please contact the sheriff’s Office at (812)247-3726.

2018-08-10 19:05:40

The Mitchelltree Township meeting had a great turnout of citizens and agencies. Thank you to the Indiana State Police, Community Corrections, William and Indian Creek Fire Departments, and the Air Evac Life Team for supporting the event. The helicopter was much appreciated by the citizens and the kids loved playing on the fire trucks. A special thanks to Deputy John Wright and his Mrs. for preparing a great meal at the Mustering Elm Park. We want to encourage any attendees to share their pictures from the event. Thank you – Sheriff Roush

2018-08-10 18:29:27

Everyone had a great time at the Summer 2018 Ladies’ Shooting Course! During the two day course, the ladies learned about gun safety, right-to-carry laws, marksmanship, and self-defense. Thank you to the ladies who attended and ALL the officers who made this happen. A special thanks to our Reserve Deputies, who donated their time to assist with this program, Dave Harder, from Harder’s Gun Shop, and our lead instructor, ICO Eric Doane. Congrats to the class Top Gun, Kelly White! At this time, the date/times for the Fall 2018 Course have not yet been set, though it is full. We will begin making calls to the ladies for the fall list approximately a month before the class begins.

2018-08-09 18:58:23

We need your help! The Office of the State Fire Marshall is actively investigating a house fire that occurred at 7811 US Hwy 150 in Shoals during the early morning hours of Friday, August 3rd, 2018. A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest of the person(s) responsible for this fire. If you have any information on this incident, please contact Investigator Hartman at the numbers provided.

2018-08-08 14:27:21

AG Curtis Hill warns of credit card scam Attorney General Curtis Hill is warning Hoosiers to beware of scams in which companies send consumers unsolicited credit cards, often touting high credit limits. Consumers should never activate cards they have not requested nor provide personal information to entities sending such cards. This warning comes after an Indianapolis man recently filed a consumer complaint with the Office of the Attorney General reporting that employees of his business received unsolicited credit cards from an entity calling itself Connector Capital, purportedly based in Los Angeles. The information on the credit cards included the name of the business for which the recipients worked. The entity that sent the card has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau. “Hoosiers need to know that, under the federal Truth in Lending Act, it is illegal to send unsolicited credit cards to consumers,” Attorney General Hill said. “If you receive a credit card you have not requested, first cut it up and then file a consumer complaint with our office.” In some cases, unsolicited cards arriving in the mail are not credit cards in the first place. Would-be identity thieves may simply be trying to coerce consumers into providing personal information when they call or go online to attempt to activate the cards. In other cases, the high-limit credit cards may have a ruinous effect on consumers’ credit ratings if they activate and/or use them. Anyone concerned about identity theft may want to consider a credit freeze, also known as a security freeze. Any Indiana resident may request a credit freeze free of charge. Learn more at the Attorney General’s website. If you have been the victim of a scam or attempted scam – or have other consumer issues – you may file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General by logging onto indianaconsumer.com or by calling 1-800-382-5516.

2018-08-06 14:06:59

Andrew Stone Sentenced On August 3rd, 2018 a sentencing hearing was held in the Martin Circuit Court concerning Andrew Stone, 34, of Shoals. On May 15th, 2018 a jury trial was held and Stone was convicted of Battery on a Public Safety Official Resulting in Bodily Injury, a level 5 felony, and Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle, a level 6 felony. Stone was sentenced to 4 years in the Indiana Department of Correction on the level 5 felony and 1.5 years. The sentences will be served concurrently. “I hope this sends a very clear message that if someone crosses the line and attacks and injures a law enforcement officer that we will do everything we can to ensure that significant prison time will be the end result. Police officers have a dangerous job and we, as a society, cannot tolerate that behavior.” Said Mike Steiner, Martin County Prosecutor. The case stemmed from a situation where Major T.A. Burkhardt with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office observed Stone driving on a suspended license and violating a no contact order, both misdemeanors. Major Burkhardt was unable to stop Stone immediately. Major Burkhardt and Sheriff Travis Roush began looking for Stone and eventually Sheriff Roush located Stone. Sheriff Roush activated his emergency lights and Stone fled to his residence. Sheriff Roush pursued Stone to his residence where Stone repeatedly slammed a door into the foot and ankle of Sheriff Roush causing injury to him. Major Burkhardt arrived shortly thereafter and Stone was taken into custody. On the same day as sentencing a fact finding hearing was held on a probation violation involving Stone in an unrelated case. The Court found Stone to have violated his probation terms and ordered his suspended time of 306 days to be served in the Martin County Security Center.

2018-07-30 16:23:07

REMINDER Mitchell Tree Residents: The Mitchell Tree Township Meeting will he held on Saturday, August 4th, at 6:00 p.m., at the Mustering Elm Park, in Trinity Springs.

2018-07-20 16:28:59

Attention Mitchell Tree Residents: The Mitchell Tree Township Meeting will he held on Saturday, August 4th, at 6:00 p.m., at the Mustering Elm Park, in Trinity Springs.

2018-07-13 13:22:44

Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrest in Loogootee Martin County (Loogootee): The Martin County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop resulting in an arrest for methamphetamine and a controlled substance on Thursday evening. On July 12, 2018 at 5:02 PM, Sergeant Keith Keller was patrolling in Loogootee when he observed a beige Jeep Liberty with two equipment violations. Sergeant Keller initiated a traffic stop on Broadway Street east of SW First Street. During the traffic stop, Sergeant Keller observed the driver, Brandy Gregory, attempt to hide a prescription bottle in her purse. Sergeant Keller requested assistance from Loogootee Police Captain Jason Hennette. Captain Hennette arrived moments later to assist. Captain Hennette utilized his certified narcotics canine, Roxy, to perform an outside free air sniff of the vehicle. Roxy gave a positive indication for the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle provided a corner bag with methamphetamine and a digital scale. Inside the prescription pill bottle were two forms of Clonazepam, a schedule IV controlled substance, that Gregory did not have a valid prescription for. Gregory was taken into custody and transported to the Martin County Security Center without incident. Arrested and Charges: Brandy R. Gregory, 37 Washington, IN -Possession of Methamphetamine -- Level 6 Felony -Maintaining a Common Nuisance -- Level 6 Felony -Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance -- Class A Misdemeanor -Possession of Paraphernalia -- Class C Misdemeanor

2018-07-12 19:00:42

Martin County Sheriff’s Office Arrest Three on Meth Charges On the late evening of Sunday, July 8, 2018, Martin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Shinn was patrolling in Loogootee when a vehicle was observed with expired license plates. Deputy Shinn initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle at the intersection of JFK Ave and Church St, in Loogootee. The driver was identified as Joseph R. Miller of Washington, IN. Upon further investigation the vehicle’s license plate were expired, false and fictitious (belonging to a different vehicle) and there was no insurance on the vehicle. The vehicle was subsequently impounded, and found to have methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia located inside. Joseph Miller attempted to destroy the methamphetamine during the traffic stop, by dissolving it in a Gatorade bottle. Joseph Miller was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Martin County Security Center. Deputy Shinn was assisted by LPD SGT. Norris. Later, in the morning hours of Monday, July 9, 2018, Martin County Sheriff's Office Deputy Tyler Reed was on patrol in Loogootee when he observed a vehicle with an altered/forged license plate. As the vehicle approached the stoplight at the intersection of John F. Kennedy Avenue and Broadway Street, the driver circumvented the stop light by pulling into a gas station parking lot and then exiting back out onto East Broadway Street. The vehicle failed to signal it’s turn and Deputy Reed learned that the plates were expired. Deputy Reed then initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle near Highway 50 and Church Street. The driver was identified as Cody L. Sebade and the passenger was identified as Cassie M. Olsen. LPD Sgt. Rick Norris arrived to assist. Deputy Reed then utilized his narcotics-certified K9 Virka for a free air sniff of the exterior of the vehicle. K9 Virka gave a positive indication for the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle then resulted in officers locating a black metal container containing a white crystal substance and a digital scale containing residue. Both the substance and residue field tested positive for methamphetamine. MCSO Captain Dant and LPD Chief Kelly Rayhill also arrived to assist. Mr. Sebade and Ms. Olsen were placed under arrest and transported to the Martin County Security Center without incident. Arrested: Joseph Miller, 30, Washington, IN 1) Possession of Methamphetamine, Level 6 Felony 2) Obstruction of Justice, Level 6 Felony 3) Possession of Marijuana, Class B misdemeanor 4) Possession of Paraphernalia, Class A misdemeanor Cody L. Sebade, 26, Clay City, IN: 1) Possession of Methamphetamine - Level 6 felony 2) Forgery - Level 6 felony Cassie M. Olsen, 35, Brazil, IN: 1) Possession of Methamphetamine - Level 6 felony 2) Possession of Paraphernalia - Class C misdemeanor

2018-07-12 17:52:50

Ladies' Shooting Course Announcement In 2016, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office launched a new bi-annual program, the Ladies’ Shooting Course. The free program is aimed at instruction of basic handgun safety, shooting fundamentals, Indiana firearms laws, and 2nd Amendment rights. The program relies heavily on the volunteer efforts of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the Reserve Deputy Program, Marshall of the Town of Shoals, Dave Harder of Harder’s Gun Shop; as well as the coordination with another outside agency: Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division. To accommodate as many applicants as possible, we have increased the program from two to three courses a year. Even with the added course, the increased number of applicants does not allow all applicants entry to a course immediately. While we appreciate the growing interest, we cannot, at this time, offer more than three courses per year. We do keep a signup list and will accommodate applicants as quickly as possible. Each class size is limited to 14-15 applicants and sign-ups are on a “first-come/first-serve” basis. As class dates are chosen, approximately 4 weeks prior to the course date, Sheriff Roush calls those scheduled to attend, and provides them with additional information. At the present time, both the 2018 Summer and Fall course rosters are full, and the Spring 2019 roster has been started. If you are interested in the Ladies’ Shooting Course, but do not wish to wait, you are encouraged to sign-up for an alternative shooting course, such as “Uncle Rudy’s Indoor Firing Range” in Evansville, Indiana www.unclerudys.com . By completing an alternative course, you may more quickly gain the necessary skills and fundamentals of handgun safety and shooting, while waiting to attend the Sheriff Office’s courses. We look forward to training everyone that seeks the course, and appreciate your support and understanding.

2018-07-05 18:30:46

UPDATE: Highway 150 is now OPEN. Please continue to use caution in the area as we expect the roadway to continue to be slick from the fuel spill and clean up. Repair crews will be working in the area throughout the day. If traveling in the area, expect traffic delays and 1 lane of travel at times. The driver of the semi-tanker was transported to IU Health-Paoli where he was treated and released with minor injuries. -- Highway 150 will remained CLOSED for several hours and into the evening from Asbell Road to Powell Valley Road due to an overturned tanker. There will be no thru traffic, if you must travel in the area, the detour will be Asbell Rd. and Powell Valley Rd. Highway 150 between Shoals and Roland is CLOSED at this time due to an overturned tanker.