Self-defense: No charges after fatal shooting in Kroger parking lot that left school protection offi

No charges will be filed after a self-defense shooting at a Vigo County grocery store last month.

Try to just "we try to just paint the picture and put the puzzle together."

We have an update in a deadly road-rage shooting that happened in terre haute.

Good evening and thanks for joining us.

It's a shooting that happened last month in terre haute.

In the kroger parking lot off of u.s. south 41.

That left one man dead.

Now -- we're learning more about the shooting.

News 10's sarah lehman was at a press conference earlier today with vigo county prosecutor terry modesitt.

In your top story tonight... she joins us from the newsroom with more from the press conference.

Patrece...rondrell... prosecutors announced earlier today... no charges will be filed in that shooting.

Vigo county prosecutor terry modesitt cites the indiana self defense law as the reason.

On july 29th -- the vigo county sheriffs office was dispatched to a shooting on the south side of terre haute.

That's when they found sean martin had been shot and killed by otis parks.

Out of what we now know is self defense.

But -- officials say it started off as road rage.

"i guess my whole word of advice on that is to treat people how you want to be treated.

You know if you're cut off in traffic and i get upset when that happens.

/// just take a breath don't let it escalate."

During the investigation parks gave a statement to detectives.

Modesitt says parks was driving to kroger after getting off work.

That's when martin... in a white truck -- followed him into the kroger parking lot.

Modesitt says martin stopped his truck immediately behind parks' car.

That's when witnesses and a surveliance camera captured martin get out of his truck.

Parks reported martin grabbed his neck.

That's when parks -- who is a legal gun owner -- shot martin twice.

And immediately called 9-1-1.

No one is sure what led to martin following parks and getting out of his car.

But -- modesitt and vigo county sheriff john plasse say stress could have been a factor.

Plasse says during their investigation a lot of people said it was uncharacteristic of martin.

He was a student resource officer...and was deputized by the vigo county sheriff's office.

Plasse says with the state of the world -- people have been on edge, which he thinks may have led to martin's actions.

"covid has i think put a lot of people as the prosecutor said on edge for a lot of unknowns this prolonged so long no one expected this to be going on still i think some people are just uneasy because of that."

And plasse says they did discover he was going through some personal stressors.

And vigo county prosecutor terry modessit says parks was very upset that he had shot and killed a person "just a very sad tragic event and obviously our thoughts and prayers are with both famiilies involved.

It's not an easy thing to deal with."

Again parks will not be charged will not be again parks with."

Again parks will not be charged because they say he was acting in self defense.

Reporting live in the newsroom.

I'm sarah lehman news 10.

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