2 officers injured, suspect dead in east side gun battle
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A suspect is dead following an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer involved shooting on the city’s’ east side Sunday afternoon.
According to police, the shooting happened on East 31st Street near Sherman Drive just before 3:20 p.m.
Police confirmed that shots were exchanged with a suspect and two IMPD officers. Both officers were grazed by a bullet, IMPD confirmed. They were in stable condition.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The officer felt his life was in danger. There was a struggle over the gun. He came in contact with an armed suspect, and here’s where we are,” said Officer Chris Wilburn, public information officer for IMPD.
According to IMPD, the incident started as a traffic stop. The suspect got out of the car and fled on foot. An officer pursuing the suspect noticed they had a gun. The officer in pursuit of the suspect and a second officer, who was called in for backup, were involved in a scuffle when gunfire was exchanged.
“At this point we believe what we know. What we’ve been told. The suspect was struggling for the officer’s weapon,” said Officer Wilburn.
As police investigated that shooting, more shots were fired just blocks away. Police said no one was hurt and they don’t know who fired those shots.
Johnay Stingley said she doesn’t know either. The Indianapolis resident says she was less than a block away from the shots.
“It’s real out here,” she said. “It’s scary.”
For hours, people from the neighborhood surrounded the crime scene. Some of them shouted obscenities and accuse the police of wrongdoing.
Rev. Charles Harrison of the Ten Point Coalition tried to calm them down.
“It was very, very tense,” he said.
He said he’s organizing a meeting so community members and police can talk about any concerns.
“I think there’s a lot of hopelessness out here,” he said. “Certainly we heard that and witnessed that today. We have to find a way to give hope to a lot of people who don’t have much hope.”
Police say they’re thoroughly investigating the shooting.
This is the second time in less than one week that IMPD has taken deadly force during an officer involved shooting.
(REPORT CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO)
On Monday, officers killed a man after he confronted police with weapons in the 5700 block of Ashby Drive. That’s near Kentucky Avenue and High School Road.
Officers say a suicidal man had a rifle and pointed it at officers and fired. Officers fired one shot and killed the subject.
In March, two suspects were injured in what officers called an “intense gunfight.” It happened shortly before 10 p.m. after police received a call about a robbery in progress at the Family Dollar, located at 5400 West 34th Street.
Two armed individuals wearing masks were seen escorting employees at gunpoint. The suspects moved toward the exit and tried to run away. As the two exited the store, police told the suspects to drop their weapons. According to officials, one man raised his arm and pointed a gun at police.
Other IMPD officer involved shootings in 2015:
