IMPD: Officer shoots, kills suspect on city’s north side; protesters gather at scene
IMPD is discussing two officer-involved shootings and a pregnant pedestrian struck and killed by a vehicle driven by an IMPD officer. Click the “play” button to watch. App users – click here to watch.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man is dead after being shot by an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer on the city’s north side on Wednesday night.
Authorities have not yet released the man’s name.
News 8 has reached out to the Marion County Coroner’s Office to confirm his identity. We have also requested information regarding the official cause and manner of death.
According to IMPD, Deputy Chief Kendale Adams first noticed the man’s vehicle driving recklessly while northbound on Interstate 65 near 30th Street around 6 p.m. Behind the deputy chief’s vehicle was IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. Adams and Taylor were both in unmarked vehicles. Officers say the suspect was driving at a high rate of speed and ignoring traffic signals.
IMPD Assistant Chief Chris Bailey said the man was seen almost hitting another car and driving speeds around 90 mph.
Taylor and Adams chased the vehicle until marked cars arrived. At 6:10, the pursuit was ended. Six minutes later, another officer saw the vehicle pull in behind a business in the 6200 block of Michigan Road.
The man jumped out and ignored commands to stop.
IMPD said a short foot pursuit occurred, then the officer deployed a stun gun.
IMPD says the officer and the man exchanged gunfire.
“It is believed at this time that shots were fired by both the officer and the suspect,” said Bailey.
He said a gun, not belonging to the officer, was found near the suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say they were made aware of a video of the shooting being posted on Facebook.
News 8 has reviewed this video, which is beginning to attract national attention. The video does not show a gunfire exchange. More than a dozen gunshots are heard on the video.
“Both the officers and the detectives have done their due diligence in preserving that evidence through the proper legal channels and if it’s associated that there’s information on there that’s appropriate for the investigation, they’ll utilize it,” said Bailey.
The Critical Incident Response Team is investigating, and the officer has been placed on administrative leave.
The man was struck and pronounced dead on the scene.
Following the shooting, a large crowd gathered at the scene.
News 8 has requested the name, rank and discipline records for the IMPD officer involved. News 8 has also asked if IMPD has collected any video, either their own or from the surrounding area.
IMPD does not have body cameras.
News 8 has requested a statement from the mayor’s office.
Congressman André Carson of Indiana’s 7th District released the following statement on Twitter:
City-County Council President Vop Osili released this statement on behalf of the City-County Council:
“We are all saddened tonight at the violent loss of a young life. While we wait for the investigative process to unfold and the facts to become fully understood, our thoughts tonight are with the family and friends of a young man whose future will never be realized. Events like today’s leave all of us shaken–public officials, local residents, and members of law enforcement alike–and cause us all to recognize that every life lost in our community is a tragedy.”
City-County Council President Vop Osili
News 8’s Julia Deng spoke to a woman who identified herself as the man’s sister.
The Greater Indianapolis NAACP released this statement:
Our hearts this morning are with the families who lost loved ones during these tragic events. All of us are trying to make a new normal in an un-normal time. Incidents like these do not help restore normalcy to our community.
We’re aware of some facts from the Facebook Live video. However, the NAACP will monitor and review additional facts as the investigations proceed and then determine whether it warrants any actions by our organization.
We ask the community to allow the process to proceed, as we monitor the various investigative units that will uncover the facts. If you believe you have relevant information, we ask you to provide it to investigators.
“We urge the community to stay calm. Additionally, we urge people not to gather in large groups to protest. With COVID-19 rampant in our community and the lack of sufficient testing and testing sites, we know that large gatherings will lead to more deaths in our community. We urge you to take to social media to express your feelings and find communities of like-minded people in a safe way.
Greater Indianapolis NAACP Branch President Chrystal Ratcliffe
The ACLU of Indiana released the following statement:
We join many in the community by calling for a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation into the deadly shooting of Sean Reed. The public deserves to get a detailed account of why this man was shot and what actions Indianapolis Police took to avoid yet another fatal shooting.
Whether someone is unarmed or armed, compliant or resistant, police officers should be properly trained in de-escalation tactics and turn to the use of force only as a last resort, not a first option.
“We see time and time again that excessive force by police disproportionately impacts black and brown community members. Law enforcement in Indiana should treat all communities with dignity, employ restraint on police power, and use only the degree of force necessary to maintain the community’s safety. Transformational changes are desperately needed in our approach to public safety.
IMPD Chief Randal Taylor will be holding a virtual press conference at 11 a.m. You can watch that live on WISH-TV, WISHTV.com, the WISH-TV news app and on our Facebook page.
