Community Mourns After Rookie Police Officer, Army Veteran Is Killed During Traffic Stop
A rookie police officer was shot dead on Sunday morning in Elwood, Indiana, during a traffic stop.
Officer Noah Shahnavaz, 24, had been an Elwood police officer for only 11 months prior to the fatal shooting, according to People. Along with his policing career, Shahnavaz was also a five-year U.S. Army Veteran.
According to Indiana State Police, Shahnavaz stopped a 2012 Buick LaCrosse on Route 37 in Elwood around 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Once stopped, the man who was in the vehicle, Carl Roy Webb Boards II, allegedly exited the vehicle and began shooting at the young officer, striking him at least once.
Boards fled the scene in his Buick, according to Yahoo! Money.
Officers arrived at the scene shortly after, helping the fatally wounded officer until medical assistance arrived.
Shahnavaz was taken to Ascension St. Vincent Mercy Hospital in Elwood and was then flown to an Indianapolis-area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
About 30 minutes after the shooting, officers located the Buick on Indiana 37 near Interstate 69.
After police used two “precision immobilization techniques,” the Buick struck a median barrier wall.
Boards was then arrested on a preliminary charge of murder in connection with the shooting.
According to Andrew Hanna, Madison County’s chief deputy prosecutor, Boards was taken to the Hamilton County Jail, where he will most likely be charged with a firearm enhancement as a habitual offender.
Shahnavaz’s death has sparked a widespread sense of grief and mourning throughout Indiana.
“A family, community and state are devastated by the loss of Officer Noah Shahnavaz, a young public servant at the start of his law enforcement career,” Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb wrote in a statement.
“Not only did he choose to serve his fellow Americans for five years in the United States Army, he returned to Indiana to rededicate himself to serving and protecting others as a police officer.
“Our hearts go out to Officer Shahnavaz’s loved ones and his fellow officers.”
Elwood Mayor Todd Jones also gave his condolences, according to Yahoo! Money.
“A senseless act of violence robbed this young man of the life and career he deserved.”
Former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton had also expressed sympathy in a Twitter post about the event.
Officer Noah Shahnavaz of the Elwood, IN Police Department was only 24 years old when he was shot and killed in the line of duty. An Army veteran, Officer Shahnavaz dedicated his life to the service of others — a life of significance. We must #NeverForget.#CopsCountPoliceMatter pic.twitter.com/2wV0L6p8kR
— Bill Bratton (@CommissBratton) August 1, 2022
Many mourners of the Elwood community came together at the Elwood Government Building at 2 p.m. on Sunday, 12 hours after the shooting had occurred, to pay their respects to the fallen officer.
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