Multi Agency Cooperation Results in Armed Robbery Arrest

Putnam County—A joint investigation involving Cloverdale Police Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Indiana State Police, has resulted in the arrest of an armed robbery suspect.

Arrested:                 David Lee Burchett, age 32, of Cloverdale, IN.

Charges:                  (1) Count of Robbery; (1) Count of Pointing a Firearm; (1) Count of Intimidation                                Incarcerated in the Putnam County Jail

On Thursday April 06, 2017, at approximately 12:19a.m., Putnam County 911 received a call from the Casey’s gas station at 355 North Main Street in Cloverdale, reporting an armed robbery. The suspect was a white male 5-08 to 6-00 tall, wearing a black bandanna over his face, black baseball style cap, and dark clothing. The suspect brandished a black revolver style handgun and demanded money and cigarettes, in which he received approximately $300 and approximately 14 cartons of cigarettes. The suspect then fled north from the store. Over the next several minutes, officers from the three agencies searched the area, but were not able to locate the man.

Hours later at approximately 8:50a.m., Putnam County 911 received a domestic battery call from 250 South Lafayette Street, Apartment 1. Officers responded and noticed the domestic battery suspect appeared to match the description of the earlier armed robbery suspect. Officers arrested David L. Burchett for domestic battery and continued their investigation into the armed robbery.

Over the next few days, surveillance footage was reviewed, search warrants on the apartment and Burchett’s vehicle were executed, and several interviews were conducted. All leading to the Putnam County arrest warrant for David L. Burchett.

The Putnam County arrest warrant was issued this morning, and Cloverdale Police Officer David Brown spotted David Burchett around 4:20 this afternoon, operating his vehicle westbound from Cloverdale on State Road 42. A traffic stop was initiated and Burchett was taken into custody without incident by Cloverdale Officer David Brown, Marshal Steve Hibler, and Master Trooper DuJuan Presley-McFadden.

The lead investigating officer on this case was Cloverdale Police Officer David Brown. Assisting were Cloverdale Town Marshal Steve Hibler; ISP Putnamville Detectives Sergeant Sam Stearley and Troy Cobb, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of Putnam County Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter.