Witness recounts car crash before police shot suspect
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – People in a northeast side neighborhood are dealing with a trail of damage after Tuesday night’s police chase and shooting.
According to police, an officer fearing for his safety shot and killed a passenger in a car involved in the police chase. 34-year-old Joshua Dyer is now dead and the driver, 41-year-old Matthew Cole, is in jail.
Police said an officer approached a car parked in an unauthorized section of Washington Park. The people inside the car, according to police, were uncooperative and didn’t provide truthful information.
The driver eventually took off, leading police on a chase and blowing stop signs along the way. He crashed into a fence near 38th and Tacoma.
After the initial crash, police said they exited their vehicles as did the suspect. But then, according to police, the suspect got back in and put the car in reverse. An officer fired and hit the passenger.
“It’s safe to say that the officer feared for his life as it was approaching him,” IMPD Sgt. Kendale Adams said.
A man who asked to be identified only as Nicholas now has a mangled fence in his backyard. He said the suspect drove straight onto his property.
“It was a terrible crash,” Nicholas said. “It tore everything up.”
He was sitting at home with his wife when he heard the crash. He looked outside, saw the white car in reverse, and then he heard the gunshot.
“I’m mad about my property but that’s nothing compared to somebody’s life.”
Nicholas said he didn’t get much sleep after the crash; he’d been up thinking about the incident.
He’s hoping he can find a way to fix his fence, and his neighbors are hoping for the same thing. For now, his thoughts are with the families involved.
“It isn’t worth all this. Why would you run? I don’t care what you did. It isn’t worth anybody losing their life over a traffic stop. It’s crazy man,” Nicholas said.
The suspect, Matthew Cole, is listed as homeless in a recent court document. The document said he’s facing a felony charge of resisting law enforcement and using a vehicle to commit the offense. He’s also being charged with knowingly operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license.
The officer who fired the shot is on administrative leave. IMPD officials said that is standard procedure for any officer-involved shooting.