3rd robbery suspect arrested after gunfire with police outside AutoZone
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested the third of three robbery suspects who were in a gunfight with officers during the robbery of an auto-parts store Friday night.
Police on Saturday identified the suspects taken in custody Friday night as 28-year-old James Bess and 27-year-old Tony Hamilton. George Taylor, 30, was taken into custody Saturday after a search involving police dogs and a drone.
Just before 9:25 p.m., police responded to a call of a robbery in progress at AutoZone, 5455 N. Keystone Ave. Police encountered three people exiting the store, at least two of them with guns, and it is believed one officer fired two shots at the suspects. Police later recovered multiple handguns and an unknown amount of money believed to be taken in the robbery.
No police officers were hurt, but it was not known if any of the suspects were hurt, police said.
One of the three suspects fled the store in a car that crashed about a block east of the crime scene; he was captured. The other two suspects fled the store on foot, and police captured one of them Friday. The third, Taylor, was taken into custody by detectives at his home.
Employees were in the store. It usually closes at 10 p.m. on Fridays, but a police captain said he did not immediately know if customers were in the store.
As a standard procedure, the officer involved in discharging the weapon was going to be placed on administrative leave while an Internal Affairs investigation was conducted, police said Saturday.
Police on Saturday provided the following timeline of the events leading up to and following the IMPD officer discharging a weapon:
TIMELINE
9:24 p.m. -Uniformed IMPD Officers arrive and mark out of service at 5455 N Keystone in response to a possible robbery in progress
9:25- Officer broadcasts description of three individuals inside the business / all have their faces covered
9:26- Officer broadcasts Suspects are still inside the business
9:27:20- Officer broadcasts Suspects are still inside the business
9:27:29- Officer broadcasts Suspects were armed in previous robberies / unknown if they are armed at this time
9:28- Control split channels moving primary radio traffic to a secondary channel leaving this incident on the primary channel
9:30:11- Officer broadcasts shots fired
9:30:18- Officer broadcast one suspect in down
9:30:20- Officer broadcasts another suspect is running and gives direction they flee
9:30:29- Officer broadcasts one of the suspects is fleeing in a car and gives direction of travel
9:30:38- Officer broadcasts they are in pursuit of the suspect vehicle
9:30:43- Officer broadcast the suspect vehicle has crashed and gives location
9:31- Pursuit terminated / suspect fled on foot from vehicle
9:32- Drone ordered from IFD
9:33- Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) ordered to scene
9:35- Late Shift Lieutenant establishes Incident Command
9:36:46-Night Watch Captain takes over Incident Command
9:36:57-Suspect who fled from vehicle apprehended
9:37:08- Announcement made that K9 is tracking
9:39- Drone on the way ETA 30 minutes
9:40- Another suspect taken into custody
9:41-Incident Commander requests COM VAN Respond
9:45-COM VAN on the way
9:58- EMS staged in area
10:11- Drone on scene
10:43-Mask recovered inside perimeter
12:01 a.m. K9 Tracking Complete-Perimeter Collapsed
12:16- Late Shift Lieutenant takes over Incident Command and Brings Channels back together terminating Incident Command
