INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The big brother of Joshua Richard wants answers.

Aaron Richard on Thursday showed News 8 the chicken coop where they’d sat and talked less than 12 hours before Joshua died in a police shooting in Beech Grove. 

State police Sgt. John Perrine tells News 8 that the shooting unfolded around 6 a.m. Wednesday. Beech Grove Police Department officers were called to a child custody dispute at an apartment in the 4400 block of Willow Bend Drive. That’s is in the Willow Glen South apartments off South Ninth Avenue and East Thompson Road.

On Thursday, Aaron described his 26-year-old brother as a “man who grew up with a troubled past.

“He was a father, a brother, and he was a solider that pushed through everyday battles.”

Those battles included gaining access to his child. Aaron says Joshua complained about his struggles to gain custody of his daughter.

“My brother was the one who called the Beech Grove police on a welfare check on his 4-year-old daughter, and he ends up getting shot.”

Police say three officers were called to the scene. Officers say they arrived to find Joshua had a knife and ignored their warnings to drop it.

Then, he lunged toward them and cut one officer on his face, police say. The officer’s injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

That’s when an officer shot Joshua.

Aaron says Joshua was bipolar and not a violent person unless provoked. “He is not the angry, violent person like the cops are making him out to be. He wasn’t attacking the police. He was defending his kid.”

Asked about his brother cutting an officer’s face, Aaron says he was surprised because that was unlike him. “If they just peppered-sprayed him or tased him, he would have taken his loss and headed to jail.”

Aaron has more questions than answers. He wants to know: Why did the incident go so far?

Aaron flipped through a journal he created for his brother. “It’s dated May 1, 2024. The day of his death.”

He then read off a portion. “To Josh, I love you so much. This is my book to keep you alive, to keep your spirit fighting, and to make a record of everything in your life.”

Aaron also has a message for officers: “Treat people better because America is tired of having police kill people especially people with mental health issues.”