Make wishtv.com your home page

IMPD to honor fallen officer who ‘did his job flawlessly’

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – July 5 will mark one year since Officer Perry Renn was shot and killed while on duty, and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is preparing to honor him.

He was a fixture in the north district, patrolling the streets in that community for more than two decades, but on the night of July 5, 2014 his service came to a tragic end.

“He had a unique personality. He had a unique tone on the radio. So those kind of memories stick out for the guys who works with him for all those years,” North District Commander Chris Bailey said.

Those are far better memories than what happened nearly a year ago, when police say Officer Perry Renn and his partner responded to a report of shots fired near the intersection of 34th Street and Forest Manor Avenue. Just four minutes after arrival, radios sounded with the alert than an officer was down. Hours later, Officer Renn died.

“We have a great police department. They are very resilient. They’ve been through a lot,” Bailey said.

The district mourned the loss of Officer Renn along with the entire city, even the region. Blue light bulbs flew of the shelves of every area store, illuminating support for Renn and the entire department.

“Our community supports what we do,” Bailey said.

Commander Bailey says his team wants to continue Renn’s service of community policing, an effort to connect personally with the neighborhoods they serve.

“Perry every day went out and did that – did his job flawlessly for 20 years,” Bailey said.

It’s a pledge he says police owe to Perry and all patrolmen killed in the line of duty.

“We made a promise to Lynn Renn that we would never forget,” Bailey said.

Lynn Renn, Perry’s wife, and his family are expected to attend a city-wide roll call planned for IMPD Tuesday evening. That’s when the entire department will remember Officer Renn’s sacrifice. They will also dedicate a fallen officer legacy street project sign in his honor. The roll call will be held at the Andrews Academy in the 4000 block of East 38th Street at 7:30 p.m. It is open to the public.