IMPD officer on northwest side kills man suspected of shooting roommate
UPDATE: The man shot and killed by police on Indy’s northwest side has been identified as 26-year-old Kelvin Chandler, the Marion County Coroner’s Office said Thursday.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police fatally shot a man who was being sought in connection to a Wednesday morning shooting on the city’s northwest side, Indianapolis authorities say.
Police say the suspect had shot his roommate.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a report of a person shot in the 6300 block of Watercrest Way at 11:48 a.m. That’s near West 62nd Street and Zionsville Road.
In an email sent around noon from IMPD, officers arrived and located the roommate with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. The roommate was taken to an area hospital in stable condition.
IMPD Chief Chris Bailey says that while officers were investigating the roommate’s shooting, they learned that the suspect was still in the area. IMPD Northwest officers and SWAT located the suspect running between houses in the 6300 block of Apollo Way.
Officers believed the suspect was armed but did not chase him. Another officer arrived at the scene, exited his police vehicle, and approached the suspect yelling, “Stop! Stop! Stop!”
The responding officer and the suspect shortly after exchanged gunfire in between houses, hitting the suspect at least once. The suspect was taken to Eskenazi Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
IMPD said on X, formerly Twitter, that no officers were injured in the shooting.
Officals say a firearm was located in the back of the residence.
“It appears that the suspect fired at our officer first. There was an exchange there, and, unfortunately, that suspect is deceased,” Bailey said in a news conference after watching bodycam footage from the incident.
He also said, “We prefer that people do the right thing and put the gun down and surrender so we don’t have to have these types of things happen.”
The Marion County Coroner’s Office will release the name of the man shot and killed once family notifications have been made.
A resident of the area, Nicole Croddy, said, “I worked from home and, all of a sudden, I heard randomly 10 to 15 shots in rapid succession go off.”
Croddy says she’s considering moving after this incident and others in the area. “I’ve lived here 10 years now, and it always felt safe. I would say, over the last couple of years, we’re hearing a lot more gunfire.”
Another resident, Alfonzo Spann, said, “I came out. I heard shots and came out and then saw this,” crime tape and a large police presence.
A separate administrative investigation was being conducted by IMPD Internal Affairs, according to a release. The officer who fired his gun has been placed on administrative leave as is standard procedure in a police shooting investigation.
Anyone with information was asked to call Detective Gary Toms at the homicide office at 317-327-3475.
Crime Resources
- Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana: 317-262-8477
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