Mom of shooting victim joins IMPD’s victims assistance team
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — She’s watched her son and her family struggle with the aftermath of gun violence. Now an Indianapolis mom will team up with Indianapolis police hoping her story can help victims in the hours, and days, after a shooting.
In 2014, DeAndra Yates-Dycus got the news that changed her life forever. Her teenage son was shot in the head while at a birthday party and while he survived, he’s unable to speak or walk on his own.
“It was a stray bullet. Dre was what they called gifted and talented,” Dycus said.
While her son was hanging on to life, she made him a promise that led her to a journey of advocacy against gun violence.
“I said, ‘Dre, if you fight through this…,’ this always makes me cry…, ‘If you fight through this I will be your voice, I will be your arms, (and) I will be your legs until God decides to give them back to you, and if he doesn’t, I’m going to be mom,” Dycus said.
“You hear so much about non-fatal, and the first thing people try to do is criminalize my son, but he’s 13. Not that 13 year olds don’t do things, but it wasn’t my son’s story. So, that’s really how it started is like, I want to change the narrative. Every black male shot in this city is not out here causing havoc, and definitely not my baby. It was a stray bullet,” Dyscus said.
She created the organization Purpose 4 My Pain a resource hub that supports people affected by gun violence. It’s a program that’s even gotten attention from the White House. Now she’s bringing her skills and passion to IMPD’s victims assistance team.
“We have a process set up that we will try to meet with families within 72 hours or at least make a phone call to families after they’ve been impacted, but of course that’s case by case,” Dycus said.
“Victims assistance… there’s not enough of them. There should be more because they have sex crimes, domestic violence, you name it, and they’re typically the ones we call on, the agency calls on, so when I look at non fatal shootings, there were some that were just falling through the gap,” deputy chief at IMPD, Kendale Adams, said.
According to Adams, the law enforcement agency gets around 600 non fatal shootings per year, so they want ensure that these families get the help they need like emotional support, among other services.
“I want to be a part of a remnant of people that empower parents to say no one can be your child’s biggest advocate but you. Don’t let it just stop at the shooting, but make change. Be a part of change and that’s simply what I’ve been doing,” Dycus said.