Community leader pushes for IMPD bodycams after fatal police shootings

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Community leaders gathered Wednesday after two separate police-involved shootings left two men dead.

“The tensions are really very high right now among leaders among the community itself,” Ten Point Coalition President Rev. Charles Harrison said.

Rev. Harrison spent the day meeting with other religious and African-American leaders.

“People want to make sure that the police officer acted in a lawful way last night, so they’re looking for more transparency,” he said.

The first deadly police shooting of 2016 happened Saturday at a McDonald’s on 38th Street when an armed man was killed by police.

The second happened just days later, when Kevin Hicks died at a Marathon gas station parking lot Tuesday night.

“I’m trying to say to people all over the city, leaders who are upset, we have to wait until we get the facts,” Harrison said.

Police described surveillance video showing Hicks and the officer in a fight. Police said the video shows the officer trying to de-escalate the situation, but Hicks continued the fight.

The officer’s taser was found on the ground at the scene.

At the moment when the gun was fired, both men were out of the camera’s frame.

Harrison feels that is an argument for police body cameras.

“I think that’s in the best interest of the police department. I think it protects them when they lawfully carry out their duties as officers and then it protects the public if an officer unlawfully carries out his duties,” Harrison said.

He said the next step is asking the question, how do we stop a situation like this from happening again?

“We’re going to be asking the police to talk about what their procedures are how do we deescalate?” he said.