Deputy shot, suspect arrested after Owen County standoff

What started as a routine welfare check resulted in Owen County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) Sgt. Detective Nathan Martin being shot in the line of duty and airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital.

Martin has since been released and is recovering.

On the afternoon of Friday, June 12, the Owen County Probation Department contacted OCSD requesting they respond to a home in the 4000 block of Texas Pike in Spencer to conduct a welfare check on Wendell L. Hart, according to the probable cause affidavit filed by Detective Michael Tummers with the Indiana State Police (ISP). A welfare check on Hart, 58 of Spencer, was initiated because Hart, who was on probation, had missed a check-in with his probation officer, his electronic monitoring system had been disabled and he could not be reached via his cell phone.

Deputies William Browne and Jacob Williamson who performed the welfare check announced their presence and knocked on the door to Hart's residence. There was no arrest warrant for Hart at that time.

"They heard a male state that they had five minutes to get off of his property, followed by immediate gun fire from inside of the residence," the affidavit reads. "The responding officers maneuvered to the northwest corner of the residence, taking a covered position."

Hart then exited the front door and fired multiple shots. It was then that Browne and Williamson called for backup, including Martin, to later arrive on scene.

"Officers returned fire, after announcing their presence again, as Hart advanced towards their location. Hart can be heard yelling at the officers, 'Where are you b*tch? Come here b*tch,' as he advanced," the affidavit reads. "Hart was observed outside of the residence yelling at the officers to get off his property, he would kill them and to get out of his town."

Hart fired another shot that struck Martin in the upper torso as he stood near the driveway entrance to Hart's residence. Spencer Police Department (SPD) officer Bryce Brock and OCSD Lt. Clint Wampler were standing next to Martin when he was shot.

Officers notified dispatch that shots had been fired and an officer was down. In response, officers from several agencies, including OCSD, SPD, ISP, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI, according to Sgt. Matt Ames, public information officer for the Indiana State Police (ISP) Putnamville District.

"As additional officers began arriving at the scene, Hart opened the north door of his residence. Officers can be heard giving verbal commands to Hart to drop the gun and show me your hands. Officers then fired multiple shots, ultimately striking Hart, who ran back inside the residence and again barricaded himself," the affidavit reads.

The OCSD quickly posted an emergency alert on social media, warning local residents of an active "criminal incident." Neighbors were urged to avoid the Texas Pike area, lock their doors, and immediately report any suspicious activity to 911.

Because authorities were initially uncertain if Hart was still in the garage or had escaped into the dense surrounding woods, a massive perimeter was established. The ISP aviation unit deployed helicopters to scour the area from above and later assist investigators with aerial photography.

The tense standoff lasted between two and two-and-a-half hours. It ultimately came to a peaceful conclusion after police negotiators and Hart's family members successfully convinced him to surrender. The Indiana State Police SWAT team moved in and took Hart into custody without further incident.

Hart was transported to a hospital in Bloomington to address injuries he received during the incident. He was booked into the Owen County Jail on June 19. He can be seen wearing a sling in his booking photo.

On June 22, Hart was charged with five felonies and a misdemeanor in relation to the incident. Those charges include felony counts of attempted murder, battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery with bodily injury to a public safety officer, and two counts of criminal recklessness. Hart is also facing a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

According to court records, a notice to seek habitual offender status has also been filed by Owen County Prosecutor Benjamin Kim.

An initial hearing took place on June 22. Owen County Public Defender Jacob Fish was appointed to represent Hart, and a cash-only bond of $250,000 was set, noting that Hart would be placed on GPS Level 3 monitoring if the bond is met.

A jury trial is currently scheduled for Dec. 15.

Prosecutor Kim would like to remind everyone that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

During the June 25 county commissioners meeting, the commissioners voted 2-0 to provide Martin with full pay while he is recovering from his injury. Commissioner Sam Hobbs said that the other officers on administrative leave because of the incident receive 100 percent of their normal pay, but Martin, who was injured in the line of duty would only receive 66 percent through workers compensation. Hobbs said an updated policy is in the works.

"There's no sense in the guy being cut short of his pay in this type of situation," Hobbs said.

Senior Correspondent Travis Curry contributed to this article.