MITCHELL, Ind. — Police in Lawrence County arrested a Mitchell man after they struggled with him during a welfare check on his father.
In a social media post, the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department said 53-year-old Shawn Edward Hays was in custody at the county jail.
Police said officers were asked to check the well-being of a person in Mitchell around 6 p.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, officers saw "a male hastily attempting to exit the property in a silver Chevrolet pickup," stopped the vehicle and observed a shotgun on the seat next to the driver.
As one of the deputies communicated with the man, a second officer took the shotgun from the truck and "after a brief struggle, the male was detained until deputies completed the welfare check on the male’s father. Deputies then discovered the body of a deceased male in the yard at that location."
On Wednesday, police said the deceased man was identified as 73-year-old Rodney E. Hays. The death is being investigated as a homicide.
Indiana State Police and the Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office are assisting in the ongoing investigation.
