IMPD officers arrest suspect hours after Thursday homicide

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It took investigators only a few hours to track down and arrest the suspect in a Thursday morning homicide, Indianapolis police said Friday.

Just before 4 a.m., Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to a shooting in the 2000 block of Spencer Avenue, not far from the intersection of East 21st Street and Emerson Avenue.

Officers arrived and found a man who had been shot. The man, later identified as 29-year-old Wayne Nalley, was pronounced dead at the scene.

IMPD homicide detectives immediately reached out to Nalley’s neighbors and asked them to come forward with any information.

“We lean heavy on our community in times like these because it takes us all to ensure that our community can remain safe and be safe for everyone,” IMPD Public Information Officer Samone Burris said.

Using tips from the community, detectives quickly identified 45-year-old Keith Phillips as a suspect.

“Within hours, the IMPD Violent Crime Unit located Phillips,” IMPD said in a release Friday. “He was arrested for murder.”

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will review the case and make a final charging decision.

Anyone with information was asked to contact Detective Gregory Shue at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or by email at Gregory.Shue@indy.gov.