Mom: Officer's ‘fine'

Indiana State Police continue to investigate an incident that left a Columbus police officer with stab wounds Tuesday and his alleged assailant hospitalized in Indianapolis.

The officer, Marc Hutcheson, 35, who grew up in Brownstown, was treated for stab injuries to his left torso at Columbus Regional Hospital and released later Tuesday night. Hutcheson was wearing a bulletproof vest, but he was stabbed in the side.

The suspect, 38-year-old Carl J. Drucker II, was hospitalized at Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis.

The incident that led to Hutcheson being stabbed began when he responded to a report of a disturbance at a residence in the 700 block of Hutchins Avenue in Columbus, police said. The call on that disturbance was received around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Lt. Joe Richardson, spokesman for Columbus Police Department.

Hutcheson could not be reached for comment about the incident Wednesday, but his mother, Alice Hutcheson, who still lives and works in Brownstown, said her son called her afterward.

“He told me he’s fine,” she said.

Richardson said Hutcheson, a five-year veteran of the force, was the first officer on the scene and that he called for backup. Officer Greg Ross was the first to respond.

During the process of checking information about Drucker, Hutcheson and Ross learned he was wanted on a warrant, Richardson said. Shortly after that, Drucker pulled a knife on the two officers, and Hutcheson was stabbed during the attempt to arrest Drucker, Richardson said.

Sgt. Don Gregory, public information officer with the Indiana State Police Post at Seymour, said Ross also fired at least one shot from his department-issued Glock 22, a .40-caliber weapon, during the altercation, and Drucker sustained a flesh wound.

State officers are investigating the incident because the city asked them to do so because one of their officers fired their weapon, Gregory said.

Ross was placed on administrative leave while the state police investigate, which is standard operating procedure for Columbus Police Department, Richardson said.

After Hutcheson was stabbed and the shot was fired, Drucker jumped through a second-story window of the residence, breaking bones in his feet and ankles, Gregory said. Hutcheson and Ross went down a stairway and left the residence in pursuit of Ross, who re-entered the residence, Gregory added.

That led to a three-hour standoff because police were not sure of Drucker’s location, Richardson said.

Columbus’ SWAT team was called to the scene along with a hostage negotiator, Richardson said.

Hutcheson was treated and taken to Columbus Regional Hospital at the same time, and state troopers, officers with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and Columbus firefighters helped maintain traffic control in the area, on the city’s northeast side.

Police were not able to have any contact with Drucker during the standoff, but a bystander who also was an acquaintance of Drucker was able to send text and receive text messages, Richardson said.

“There were no successful negotiations,” Richardson said.

The SWAT team eventually fired a chemical agent into the house and went in and removed Drucker, who was treated for the bullet wound at Columbus Regional Hospital before being transferred to Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis, Gregory said.

Drucker remained at Wishard on Wednesday in custody on an out-of-state arrest warrant, Gregory said.
Additional charges are pending in connection with Tuesday night’s incident.

Richardson said neighbors applauded as Drucker was pulled from the residence and that was gratifying to the officers on hand.

“We appreciate the support we get from the community,” Richardson said. “It was noticed by everyone there.”

Richardson, who also was on the scene, said the department feels fortunate that Hutcheson’s injuries were not life-threatening.

“Everyone knows how dangerous this job can be,” he said.

Hutcheson, a 1993 graduate of Brownstown Central High School, is married and lives in Columbus with his wife and their two children.