North Vernon man dead after drawing gun on police

A North Vernon man is dead after a police involved shooting in Rushville overnight.

Indiana State Police are reporting that 34-year-old Benjamin Petry of North Vernon was a suspect in an earlier murder of a Kennard man who was shot to death after opening the door of his home to a knock at about 11:30 p.m. last night.

The murder victim has been identified as 65-year-old Ivan W. Flowers of Kennard.

Investigators have learned that Petry and Flowers were acquaintances and police do not believe this was a random act of violence. Investigators developed Petry as a suspect and alerted area police agencies to be on the lookout.

Rushville officers recognized Petry’s vehicle and approached when he stopped at a store. Police say that Petry refused orders from officers. Two Rushville officers fired on Petry after he drew a pistol and pointed it at police. He was pronounced dead by the Rush County coroner.

The officers are on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated by Indiana State Police. At the conclusion of that investigation, all information will be turned over to the Rush County Prosecutor’s Office for review.