Grand jury indicts man for murder of THPD detective/FBI officer

Investigation: Injured murder suspect drove to Regional Hospital for treatment July 7, 2021/ ICN file photo

By Lucy Perry
Indiana Central News

INDIANAPOLIS - A local man could face the death penalty for killing a Terre Haute Police Department detective last summer, following an indictment from a federal grand jury in Indianapolis today.

Shane Meehan, 45, of Terre Haute,  is accused of the murder of Det. Gteg Ferency, a 30-year veteran of the Terre Haute Police Department. Ferency also worked as an FBI Task Force Officer at the time of his death.

In addition to murder of a federal officer, the grand jury returned the indictment, charging Meehan with attempted arson of federal property and using a firearm during a crime of violence causing death.

Ferency, 53, was ambushed July 7 last year.  He was shot and killed outside the federal office building, located near the Vigo County Courthouse, that afternoon.​

That day, officials say Meehan drove his pickup truck to the gate of the FBI resident agency building in Terre Haute.

"Meehan exited his truck and threw a Molotov cocktail toward the building. Shortly thereafter, Terre Haute Police Detective and FBI Task Force Officer Gregory Ferency walked out of the FBI building and was confronted by Meehan, who was holding a firearm," according to the report.

​Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, issued a statement following the indictment, saying  perpetrators of such crimes must be held accountable. In this case, the murder and firearms charges are capital-eligible offenses, punishable by lifetime imprisonment or death. 

“Every day, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are entrusted to protect the public and uphold equal justice under law, all at the risk of their own lives. As such, the murder of a federal law enforcement officer in the line of duty is an attack against our entire community,” Myers said.

According to the press release, Meehan was arrested on July 7, 2021 and has been ordered detained in the custody of the United States Marshal, pending trial. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance on the indictment before a United States Magistrate Judge at a later time.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. Assisting in the investigation: the Terre Haute Police Department and the Indiana State Police.
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Also see: https://www.indianacentralnews.com/terre-haute-news/fbi-suspect-armed-with-gun-explosives-shot-and-killed-officer