Steuben County - Thursday morning Indiana State troopers from the Ft. Wayne Post and Toll Road Post joined Steuben County agencies in the search for a domestic fight that started in a vehicle along the Indiana Toll Road.
Police initially received a call from a witness around 9:00 a.m. of a man beating a woman in the median of the Indiana Toll Road near the 136 mile marker. As police arrived in the area, Ft. Wayne Trooper Christopher Kinsey located the suspect driving a silver Dodge Charger. The driver had left the scene eastbound and was spotted exiting the Toll Road to southbound I-69.
Kinsey was able to catch up with the vehicle and stopped the driver on I-69 near the 354 mile marker. As Kinsey spoke to the occupants of the car he noticed that both the driver and the front seat female passenger had signs of injury. He also discovered that a young child was restrained in the back seat.
The driver of the car was identified as 39 year-old Tirrell D. Rogers, of Clarkton, North Carolina. Kinsey asked Rogers to step out of the car so that he could talk with him about the reported incident while another officer spoke to the female passenger, Rogers’ girlfriend. Rogers complied and spoke with Kinsey explaining that he had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend over her cell phone but wouldn’t answer questions about his injured arm.
Trooper Kinsey made the determination to handcuff Rogers after talking to him and speaking to ISP Corporal Matt Lazoff who interviewed the female and observed an obvious bite mark on her arm.
Rogers was asked to place his hands behind his back and he immediately said, “No”, walking away into traffic on I-69. At one point Rogers said, “Shoot me”, as he continued to walk down the interstate holding his hands above his head ignoring police commands. Officers attempted several more times to gain Rogers voluntary compliance but he refused. Rogers was eventually shot with a Taser by a trooper but it was ineffective due to a probe disconnect and Rogers pulling the other probe out. A second trooper deployed his Taser but it was also ineffective due to the same reasons. Rogers was eventually subdued after a Steuben County Deputy successfully utilized his Taser bringing Rogers to the ground where he was handcuffed. Rogers refused medical treatment at the scene.
Rogers was taken to the Steuben County Jail where he faces multiple charges to include strangulation, domestic battery in the presence of a child, intimidation, criminal mischief, obstructing traffic, and resisting law enforcement.
*All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
-30- SMITH
