Indiana Man Arrested After Allegedly Firing Gun in IHOP, Leading Police on High-Speed Chase
Authorities responded to reports of a disturbance at a Muncie restaurant where a man allegedly confronted a cook with a firearm.
A man identified as Austen Geoffery Wable, 28, faces multiple charges after allegedly firing a gun inside an IHOP restaurant in Muncie, Indiana, and then leading police on a high-speed chase. The incident occurred last Thursday.
Wable reportedly entered the IHOP and confronted a cook, accusing him of having an affair with his wife. According to witness accounts, Wable, who was described as "extremely drunk," shoved the cook and pointed a gun at him. During the altercation, the firearm discharged.
An IHOP employee intervened to deescalate the situation. Reports indicate Wable then pursued the cook outside the restaurant with a knife. The employee stated that Wable may have sustained a gunshot wound himself during the confrontation, noting a "hole in the back of his pants" and Wable saying "I'm leaking."
Wable allegedly fled the scene in his wife's SUV. Police spotted the vehicle and initiated a pursuit, during which Wable allegedly exceeded speeds of 110 mph. The chase concluded when Wable crashed into a two-story brick home on South County Road 400 E. Upon exiting the vehicle, he was described as stumbling and disoriented.
Police were initially unable to communicate with Wable due to his level of intoxication. He was tased and arrested after refusing to comply with officers' commands. Authorities confirmed he had a gunshot wound when taken into custody.
Law enforcement utilized Flock Safety cameras to track Wable after the IHOP incident. When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Biltmore Avenue, Wable allegedly sped away, swerving and narrowly missing oncoming traffic.
The cook involved in the initial confrontation reportedly declined to cooperate with the police investigation. First responders recovered a handgun and a single shell casing from the IHOP.
Wable has been preliminarily charged with criminal recklessness, intimidation, unlawful carrying of a handgun, pointing a firearm, resisting law enforcement, and operating while intoxicated with endangerment. Court documents indicate a prior conviction in 2021 for carrying a handgun without a license, which prohibits him from possessing firearms.
He is being held without bail at the Delaware County Jail pending a bail hearing scheduled for the following Monday. An attorney for Wable was not immediately listed in court documents.