IMPD identifies 2 officers who shot suspect during reported business burglary
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The two Indianapolis officers involved in a police shooting that critically injured a burglary suspect have been identified a week after the incident, which also left a police dog with injuries.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was alerted at 7:45 p.m. Sept. 1 about a break-in alarm at Greene’s Auto & Truck Service at 111 W. Raymond St.
After officers had surrounded the business, K-9 officers Scott Hartman and Zachary Taylor shortly after 8:05 p.m. Sept. 1 approached the front glass door with the police dog as the alarm continued to sound, IMPD said in a news release issued Saturday.
An IMPD news release issued Friday says Taylor has been with IMPD for 21 years; Hartman, 15 years. One fired a gun while another fired a stun gun, but which officer used which weapon has not yet been shared publicly.
The officers and the police dog found Ramirez inside the business and, in English and Spanish languages, ordered him to surrender. Eventually, the police dog was released and engaged Ramirez, who stabbed the canine, IMPD says.
The police dog, named Ringo, was released from a veterinarian’s care on Tuesday.
After the dog’s stabbing, one of the two officers shot Ramirez at least once with what IMPD called a service weapon. Ramirez continued to not surrender to the officers, and one of the two officers shot Ramirez with the stun gun, IMPD says. Ramirez then was taken in to custody.
Ramirez is scheduled to be formally charged Monday in Marion Superior Court 32. He faces a felony charge of burglary with a deadly weapon, and misdemeanor counts of striking a law enforcement animal, and resisting law enforcement. Online court documents did not list Ramirez’ hometown but say he was jailed on a $50,000 surety bond. The Marion County Inmate Lookup system did not list Ramirez as being jailed on Friday afternoon.
During the incident, the officers wore body cameras, but IMPD has not publicly shared the video.
IMPD has placed Hartman and Taylor on administrative leave, which the department calls “standard procedure in an officer involved shooting investigation.” Also a standard procedure, an internal police investigation has began.
IMPD says the Use of Force Board will hold a hearing on the use of deadly force after the criminal case has concluded.
Friday’s news release carried a standard statement: “IMPD will continue to be fair and transparent with our community while protecting the integrity of criminal investigations, and officer safety. IMPD formalized a policy in 2020 which outlines when and how officers involved in critical incidents should be identified to the public.”
