Times Staff

CHESTERTON — During Monday's town council meeting, the police chief of the Chesterton Police Department called the actions of the two officers involved in the June 18 shootout with an armed suspect who eventually shot and killed himself "heroic" and said they were on a path toward mental and physical recovery.

The statement came the same day Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann found that both officers acted in self-defense. The confrontation occurred when Lt. David Virijevich and Officer Nolan Mancera responded to a call that quickly escalated when the man opened fire on them.

An independent investigation by the Indiana State Police cleared the officers of any wrongdoing, Germann announced Monday. Mancera was shot and injured during the incident.

The shooting in questio

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