Inset: Austen Wable (Delaware County Jail). Background: The IHOP where Wable allegedly opened fire (Google Maps).
A 28-year-old Indiana man is accused of firing a gun inside an IHOP while accusing a cook of sleeping with his wife, before leading police on a high-speed chase that ended with him crashing into a brick house.
Austen Geoffery Leigh Wable faces six preliminary felony charges, including shooting a firearm into an inhabited building, intimidation with a deadly weapon, unlawful carrying of a handgun, pointing a firearm, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, court records show.
Officers with the Muncie Police Department responded to the IHOP in the 3300 block of North Chadam Lane on Oct. 8 after a caller reported that a man had entered the restaurant with a gun and opened fire. The caller said the incident began with the suspect accusing one of the cooks of having sex with his wife, Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN reported.
First responders said they found a firearm in the restaurant with a single shell casing nearby, according to Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR.
An employee who reportedly tried to intervene and de-escalate the situation described Wable as “extremely drunk.” That employee told investigators that Wable pushed the cook while yelling, “You f—ed my b— bro.” The employee said Wable then pointed a handgun at the cook, which is when the employee jumped in and tried to take the firearm.
The gun went off as the two struggled over it, WXIN reported. The employee believed Wable had been shot, telling investigators he noticed a hole in the back of Wable”s pants and recalled Wable saying, “I’m leaking.” Wable left shortly afterward, driving his wife’s SUV.
Police tracked the SUV and attempted a traffic stop, but Wable allegedly sped away at the sight of squad cars.
Reaching speeds of more than 110 mph, Wable allegedly weaved through traffic and drove on the wrong side of the road as he attempted to evade police. During the chase, the SUV reportedly went airborne and almost collided with vehicles coming from the opposite direction.
The pursuit ended when Wable crashed into a two-story brick house and exited the vehicle “stumbling” and appearing “disoriented,” police reportedly wrote.
Officers used a Taser to subdue Wable after he allegedly refused to obey their commands, WXIN reported. WTHR said officers could not speak with him at the scene because he was so intoxicated.
Wable also faces two misdemeanor charges for allegedly resisting police and driving with a suspended license, court records show.
After taking Wable into custody, officers confirmed he had a gunshot wound and brought him to a local hospital for treatment.
Court documents show Wable was convicted in 2021 of carrying a handgun without a license, a conviction that prohibited him from carrying a firearm.
Wable is being held at the Delaware County Jail without bond, court records show. He is scheduled to appear for an initial hearing on Oct. 19.
