SWAT team shoots, wounds armed suspect in Alexandria

By BILL FOUTS
Gunfire erupted in a normally quiet Alexandria neighborhood last Friday as members of the Madison County SWAT team shot and wounded an armed suspect.
According to Madison County Sheriff Ron Richardson, his department had received information on the whereabouts of Mark Edward Croy, 47 of Alexandria who was wanted on a warrant and believed to be armed.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. Friday, sheriff’s deputies and members of the Madison County S.W.A.T. team were attempting to establish a perimeter on a residence in the 700 block of East Sixth Street where Croy was believed to be. That’s when S.W.A.T. team members Capt. Rob Oleksy, a 14-year veteran officer, and Patrol Officer Dave Morgan, a 26-year veteran, encountered Croy in a wooded area behind the home.
According to a statement from the Sheriff’s Department, Croy was armed with a sawed-off shotgun and refused verbal commands to drop the weapon and presented a threat to the officers. The two deputies fired at Croy striking him multiple times.
Croy was transported to Community Hospital in Anderson and later transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. His condition is unknown at this time. Oleksy and Morgan have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard operating procedure following a police-action shooting.
Richardson has asked the Indiana State Police to investigate the shooting. Detective Paul Hansard of the Indiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division, is officer in charge of the investigation. The results of his investigation will be turned over to the Madison County Prosecutor for review.