Officer William Ronald Toney, 31, was fatally shot in Beech Grove, Indiana, on the night of September 29, 2000, one day before his 32nd birthday. The shooting followed a vehicle pursuit that began when another officer attempted to stop a suspicious van; the driver refused and fled. Toney joined the chase, which ended when the van crashed near the 700 block of Churchman Avenue.

After the crash the driver, identified as 20-year-old Benjamin Ritchie, ran on foot and Toney pursued him into a backyard on Fletcher Lane. Ritchie turned and fired several shots from a 9mm handgun; one bullet struck Toney in the neck in an area not covered by his bullet-resistant vest. Toney fired once but did not hit Ritchie. Toney was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

A large manhunt led to Ritchie’s arrest hours later. Police said the van had been stolen and contained wigs and masks; officers described an intent to commit a robbery. Ritchie was charged with murder, auto theft and resisting law enforcement, and a passenger in the van later received a shorter sentence after a plea. Does anyone have further details about Toney’s life, assignment, or the neighborhood around Churchman Avenue and Fletcher Lane at that time?