Police shot a man who held a woman hostage
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis police on Sept. 19, 2024, identified its personnel in the police shooting: Officer Michelle Clegg, who has worked for the department for nine years, and Sgt. Evan Meyer, a 14-year department member.
Police arrived at apartments off River Road on the city’s north side around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday for a wellness check.
That’s when they met a female caller who said there was a woman being held hostage inside the apartment.
Assistant Chief Michael Wolley of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said, “After numerous attempts by officers to get occupants of the apartment to come to the door, they heard a female screaming inside the apartment. At the same time, another officer on the scene, near the rear end of the residents, observed a male inside the apartment with a firearm.”
Police said they broke into the apartment when they heard the woman scream. They say that’s when shots were fired. They aren’t sure who fired first, but the gunman was shot at least once.
The gunman was taken to a nearby hospital and is stable. No one else was hurt.
“Had the gentleman listened, I don’t think we would be here,” Wolley told the news media at the crime scene.
Police found a gun inside the apartment near the suspect.
Dennis Godbold was painting in a home just down the street when he heard about four or five gunshots. “I’m really shocked. We were worried the gentleman was running free, that he could come in here and hold us hostage and done more damage. We didn’t know what was going on. We appreciate the police department because without them we’ll be in bad shape.”
Police say there is no immediate threat in the area.
This is an ongoing investigation. Both officers are on administrative leave as per protocol after a police shooting.
Police say this is the 11th police shooting this year. Eight of them were lethal.