CNN
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An Indianapolis inmate allegedly used his handcuff chain to choke a sheriff’s deputy who died shortly afterward, court documents obtained by a local station show.
Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy John Durm was returning the inmate from a medical appointment Monday morning when he was attacked, the Indianapolis Metro Police Department said in a statement. press release. Durm, 61 years old, was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.
He left behind his wife and four children, police said.
The attack on the deputy was caught on video, according to a probable cause statement from an IMPD detective obtained by CNN affiliate WISH dated Tuesday.
Durm can be seen on video arriving back at the jail in a sheriff’s office jail transport van, getting out of the vehicle and walking to the back door to open it, according to the affidavit.
Durm is seen opening the interior door of the van while holding a milk crate, and the inmate also gets out, the document states. Authorities identified the inmate as Orlando Mitchell. CNN could not determine whether Mitchell has legal representation.
In the video, Mitchell is seen walking up behind the deputy, putting his hands around Durm’s neck and allegedly using the “chain that connects his handcuffs to choke” the officer, according to the affidavit.
The two fall to the ground in a struggle, and the inmate would continue to choke the deputy until “Durm quit moving,” the affidavit said.
The inmate then got out of Durm, found the handcuff key, removed his handcuffs and drove off in the prison van before crashing it into a wooden light pole.
Deputies and officers from the Metro Police Department arrested the suspect there, according to a police news release Monday. At least one deputy suffered minor injuries during the arrest and was treated at the scene, police added.
In a later post, the department said it mourned the loss of Durm, saying he “dedicated 38 incredible years of his life to serving and protecting our community.”
“During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go out to Deputy Durm’s family, friends and colleagues,” the police department said. said. “Rest, Deputy Durm. We’ll take it from here.”