In the pre-dawn hours of December 22, 2003, a tragedy unfolded on the side of Interstate 80/94 in Gary, Indiana, that cut short the life of a dedicated public servant. Scott Alan Patrick, a 27-year-old male Indiana State Trooper, was a three-year veteran of the force, a husband with a child on the way, and a man known for his quiet pride in his profession.
Just three days before Christmas, he was on duty, patrolling the Borman Expressway when he was dispatched to assist what he believed was a stranded motorist. The vehicle was situated in a grassy area off the Grant Street exit ramp with two flat tires.
Upon arrival at approximately 4:30 a.m., Trooper Patrick observed a man walking away from the disabled car. He approached the individual to offer assistance. As he attempted to conduct a pat-down search, a struggle broke out between the two men. The confrontation moved from the trunk to the front of the police cruiser. The man, identified as 19-year-old Darryl Jeter, managed to break free, pull out a. 380-caliber handgun, and fire two shots at Trooper Patrick. One of the bullets struck the trooper in the upper body, just above his bullet-resistant vest. Despite the fatal wound to his neck, Trooper Patrick was able to radio for help and return fire. He was unaware that the vehicle Jeter had been with had been reported stolen a week earlier. He succumbed to his injuries less than half an hour later while undergoing surgery at Northlake Methodist Hospital.
In the immediate aftermath, Jeter attempted to hide, first behind the tires of a flatbed trailer that had stopped at the scene and then by climbing into the cab of another semi-trailer. When a second trooper arrived, a witness pointed out Jeter's location. After Jeter made threatening movements inside the cab and tried to put the truck in gear, the assisting trooper fired at him multiple times. Jeter survived his injuries and was taken into custody. At the time of the shooting, he was on parole for selling crack cocaine near a school, having been released after serving only 90 days of a two-year sentence.
Prosecutors in Lake County subsequently charged Darryl Jeter with murder and auto theft. Although they initially considered seeking the death penalty, Jeter was ultimately convicted of both charges in May 2006. In July of that year, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Indiana Supreme Court affirmed both the conviction and the sentence in June 2008, ensuring that the man responsible for the death of Trooper Scott Alan Patrick would remain incarcerated. Trooper Patrick left behind his wife, who was pregnant at the time of his death, and a son born six months later.
