Actions Deemed Justifiable In Officer-Involved Shooting

Monday, March 22, 2021 at 1:00 PM

By Kacie Jackson

Indiana State Police-Versailles detectives were called to investigate the incident in November.

Photo by Indiana State Police.

(Seymour, Ind.) – Recently, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office has released its findings from a deadly police-involved shooting that occurred late last year.

On November 1, 2020, 43-year-old Jason S. Cline was shot and killed near the Speedway Gas Station on the U.S. 50 in Seymour.

The initial investigation from detectives at the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post found that Cline has stolen a cart full of merchandise (valued at $700) from the Walmart on Tipton Street.

When officers with the Seymour Police Department approached Cline near the gas station, he then fled on foot across the U.S. 50 into a ditch in front of the Taco Bell. Cline then allegedly brandished a handgun and pointed it in the direction of officers.

Two officers then fired their guns at Cline, striking him multiple times. Cline was given immediate medical attention but ultimately succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.

It was later determined that the handgun Cline possessed had been stolen, and he faced a lengthy prison term if caught due to his status as a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm.

On Friday, the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney released findings from the officer-involved shooting. In summary of the lengthy report, the prosecutor determined that “Seymour Police were justifiable in defense of themselves and each other given the actual deadly force threat posed by Jason Cline.”