3 suspects, including 17-year-old, arrested for roles in carjacking turned police shooting
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Three suspects, including a 17-year-old boy, were arrested Tuesday for their connection to a carjacking that led to a deadly police shooting at an east side apartment complex.
Tuesday’s shooting unfolded around 9:30 a.m. at the Arborstone Apartments near the intersection of 38th Street and Post Road.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were originally called to a nearby area to investigate a carjacking. During their search, they found the stolen vehicle and the suspect’s vehicle at the complex.
They encountered a suspect, 20-year-old Jerrett Gray Jr., who fled the scene when officers tried to speak with him. An officer soon fired shots at Gray Jr., fatally wounding him.
The officer who fired their gun was placed on administrative leave immediately after the incident.
Following the shooting, IMPD says they began looking for three other suspects involved in the carjacking. After searching traffic cameras and license plate readers, they found the suspect vehicle in the 300 block of North Shortridge Road, five miles south of the apartments.
That block of Shortridge Road is near an east side business area behind IMPD East District headquarters.
Detectives say they watched the three suspects get into two different vehicles and drive off. Police then conducted two different traffic stops on the suspects.
The first happened in the 7500 block of East 10th Street, where officers detained 20-year-old Joseph Dauda.
After speaking with detectives, Dauda was arrested for armed robbery related to the carjacking.
The second traffic stop happened in the 1700 block of North Shadeland Avenue, where three people were detained. IMPD added that the car smelled “strongly” of marijuana and the rifle was found lying in plain view on the floorboard. They also found 15 grams of weed, along with a gun magazine.
The driver, 20-year-old Damoni Armstrong, was arrested for possessing a machine gun. They also found Armstrong had been driving on a suspended license with a prior conviction.
A 17-year-old passenger was also arrested for possessing marijuana. IMPD did not reveal the teen’s name as he is a minor.
The third person in the car was released pending investigation.
Armstrong and Dauda were listed as inmates in the Marion County jail as of Wednesday morning. Both were being held without bond.
Court hearings for both men haven’t been set.
This is the sixth police shooting in Indianapolis this year, according to city data. All six shootings have been fatal.