Off-Duty Trooper Tracks Down Ind. State Park Attacker

June 27, 2011
An off-duty Indiana State Trooper quickly nabbed a man who allegedly attacked a woman in a state park

An off-duty Indiana State Trooper quickly nabbed a man who allegedly attacked a woman in a state park, officials said.

The attack happened on Friday in Brown County State Park, in Nashville, Ind.

Brown County is Indiana's largest state park which could have made finding the attacker difficult, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.

Because of Trooper Chris Griggs' quick thinking, the attacker didn't get a chance to escape.

Indiana Conservation Officer Kevin Conner said a young woman hiking around Ogle Lake, one of two lakes inside the massive park, told him that she was violently attacked.

"I was approached by a female subject who informed me she had just been attacked by a male subject with a knife on the backside of the lake," Conner said.

Meanwhile, Griggs, off-duty, was listening to his radio and driving by the park's entrance when he heard Conner calling for assistance.

"Knowing some residents in that area and being familiar with a few subjects, I've had dealings with in the past, I made a phone call to a couple of the residents to confirm the suspicions I had," Griggs said.

Familiar with the terrain, including some backwoods trails leading to the lake, it wasn't long before trooper Grigg's suspicions led him to Joshua Shipley, 28, of Nashville, Ind.

"After putting together a photo lineup of (possible attackers), we felt strongly that it was him and he was identified by two witnesses plus the victim," Griggs said.

"Fortunately in this case we were right here when it happened, so we were able to secure the scene. Trooper Griggs and the sheriff's department, with their knowledge of the area and of where people live around here, is really what put this together so quickly," Conner said.

The victim, who fought off her attacker, was taken to the hospital with several cuts, police said.

Authorities said Shipley was taken into custody at the Brown County Jail.

He's facing felony charges including battery and confinement with a deadly weapon, police said.

If convicted, police said Shipley could face 12 to 40 years in prison.

Copyright 2011 by TheIndyChannel.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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