MISHAWAKA — The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office has identified the Mishawaka police officer involved in the shooting death of an Osceola man Monday night.

Detective Jeremy Tyler, a six-year veteran of the Mishawaka Police Department, shot 43-year-old Eugene Nusbaum in a scuffle at Schneider's Auto Sales in the 1500 block of Lincoln Way West.

Tyler was off duty and heading home around 11 p.m. Monday when, according to police, he noticed Nusbaum in the middle of cutting a catalytic converter from a minivan in the used car lot.

Tyler says he approached Nusbaum and told him to stop but Nusbaum climbed into his pickup truck to take off. Tyler got between the open door and the truck and even grabbed the gear-shift, according to police.

But Nusbaum drove away, dragging the officer, who pulled out his gun and fired several shots. Nusbaum got about a hundred feet down the road before his truck hit a tree head-on and flipped.

Autopsy results show Nusbaum died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

Nusbaum had been in and out of the St. Joseph County jail 12 times since 1995, most recently in 2005 for theft.

Tyler, who received minor injuries in the scuffle, has been placed on administrative leave with pay. He was made a detective in July after serving as a patrol officer.

The County Metro Homicide Unit continues to investigate.