The Porter County
Coroner’s Office is investigating the death of a South Haven man who
struggled with a Porter County Sheriff’s Police officer in January, then
suffered “a medical emergency,” in an incident which also left the officer
injured.
Harold W. Gielow
Jr., 55, died in Porter Regional Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit at 1:30 a.m.
Jan. 16, eight days after he became involved in a physical altercation with
a PCSP officer, Coroner Chuck Harris told the Chesterton Tribune
today.
A forensic autopsy
was conducted in Mishawaka on Jan. 20 but nothing conclusive was found,
Harris said. “The investigation is ongoing and no cause or manner of death
has been determined at this time.”
At Sheriff Dave
Reynolds’ request, the Indiana State Police is investigating the incident,
which began at 8:50 a.m. Jan. 8 in the area of Brook Drive and McCool Road
in South Haven, in response to a report of a male subject’s “acting
irrationally” and “allegedly throwing a Christmas tree and garbage into the
roadway,” the ISP said.
On his arrival, the
officer--who has not been identified--made contact with Gielow, just south
of U.S. Highway 6, on McCool Road near Al’s Supermarket. Gielow “immediately
began to fight with the deputy,” the ISP said.
A Good Samaritan
who resides in the area assisted the officer until other units from the PCSP
and the Portage Police Department arrived at the scene, the ISP said.
At some point
“Gielow suffered a medical emergency,” the ISP said, the nature of which the
ISP did not specify.
Gielow was
transported to Porter Regional Hospital, where the next day he was reported
to be in critical condition.
The officer,
meanwhile--a five-and-a-half year veteran of the PCSP--suffered a fractured
ankle and was transported to Porter Portage Hospital Campus, the ISP said.
The 45-year-old Good Samaritan was also transported there, for treatment of
a hand injury.
“This is an ongoing
investigation with the full cooperation of the Porter County Sheriff’s
Department and Portage Police,” the ISP said at the time.