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The man was identified to the Porter County Sheriff's Office as 20-year-old Caden Mura, of Valparaiso.
Indiana State Police said a preliminary investigation found that officers were sent to Fairgrounds Park just before 2:30 p.m. for a report of a suspicious man who was allegedly waving around a handgun. Officers found a man who matched the description given near Butterfield Pavilion.
Police said that as officers approached, the man fled towards Calumet Avenue on foot. During the foot chase there was an exchange of gunfire between the man and the officers.
Several nearby buildings were left riddled with bullet holes.
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"I would've been sitting where the bullet came into my office," said Marcy Normal who runs a tax service nearby. "Bullet hole is right there."
The bullet went right through her business; a neighboring home was also hit.
"I saw the police car stop in the middle of the road," she said. "And then, I saw a man running across the road, through the parking lot next door, firing his gun at the police officer."
Indiana State Police said officers from both the Valparaiso Police Department and the Porter County Sheriff's Department were involved in the incident.
"I jumped up, ran to the window, and I saw several officers surrounding somebody and they were rendering first aid," said witness Leonard Campbell.
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The man was struck and taken to Northwest Health Hospital where he later died, police said. He has not yet been identified.
"It could've been a lot worse for a lot of people that were out on the streets and outside their yards doing things," said Norman.
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The officers involved in the incident have also not been identified. The investigation is active and ongoing, state police said.