FLOYD COUNTY — Criminal charges have been filed against a man who police now say killed his own wife and another person in a gas station parking lot, fled officers, then took a hostage at gunpoint and tried to hit officers with a car.
Cherok A. Douglass, 37, of New Albany, Ind., is currently being held at Floyd County Jail on two counts of murder and one count each of attempted murder, kidnapping while hijacking a vehicle and robbery resulting in serious bodily injuries. All charges are felonies.
Cherok Douglass was shot by responding officers with the New Albany Police Department and Floyd County Sheriff's Department when he tried to run officers over with an SUV he had forced a woman hostage into, according to Indiana State Police. ISP investigated the shooting.
Police first responded at about 10 a.m. Monday for a double-homicide at a Circle K gas station at Beechwood and Grant Line roads. There, they found two victims, later identified as Cherok Douglass' wife, Brandee Kay Douglass, 38, and Lorin M. Yelle, 48, of Louisville, Ky.
RELATED | New Albany double homicide suspect, victims named
ISP said Yelle had no connection to either Brandee or Cherok Douglass and was a customer at the gas station. She was shot as she was exiting the store.
Officers then saw a suspect, later identified as Cherok Douglass, fleeing in an SUV. They chased the suspect onto Charlestown Road, north of Interstate 265, where Douglass stopped at
a local restaurant and at gunpoint took a woman as a hostage.
He then forced the woman into the SUV. At one point, the woman fell from the vehicle, at which point he tried to run over officers. It was then officers opened fire, wounding him. He was transported with non-life-threatening injuries to a university hospital in Louisville.
Cherok Douglass was extradited from Kentucky on Wednesday, ISP said. An initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled on his behalf.
Autopsies for the victims are scheduled for next Monday.
-
Pacers president Kevin Pritchard shares update on Tyrese Haliburton's recovery
Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 Pacers season as he recovered from his torn Achilles that he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Fever stars Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark lead WNBA All-Star fan voting
Fever star center Aliyah Boston and star guard Caitlin Clark are first and second, respectively, in WNBA All-Star fan voting.
Storms and heavy rain to finish the week, scorching heat and humidity
Rain chances return to the forecast in the coming days. Flooding is something to monitor south of I-70.
New chairman vows to 'heavily scrutinize any requests' from Indiana utilities
The newly appointed chairman at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission vowed to “heavily scrutinize any requests” from utilities to increase their rates.
