On Saturday afternoon, around 1:00 PM, Paoli Police and Orange County Sheriff’s officers located a black Jeep at a gas station on Main Street in Paoli. The officers conducted a felony stop and ordered the two occupants out of the vehicle. The driver, Bradley Harper, surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody. However, the passenger, Casey Brown, refused to exit, leading to an hours-long standoff. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. Negotiations were attempted, and the Indiana State Police Emergency Response Team was called in. Despite the use of less-lethal techniques, Brown continued to resist. Brown eventually used his handgun to inflict a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers removed him from the vehicle, and he was transported to IU Health in Paoli and later flown to the University of Louisville Hospital. No firearms, other than less-lethal guns, were discharged by law enforcement. Brown is in law enforcement custody at the hospital for the offenses of murder and attempted murder. Earlier that morning, around 5:30 AM, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting. They found a 21-year-old male, Kobe Stancombe, of Bedford, deceased from a gunshot wound. The investigation suggests that Stancombe, Brown, Harper, and a female were together in the Jeep when the shooting occurred. Multiple shots were fired, including at the female as she fled the scene.
(L:R – Casey Brown, Bradley Harper)
