INDIANAPOLIS — It took over a dozen hours and the help of several police departments, but a suspect is finally in custody.
The situation began around 1:30 Wednesday afternoon. The Marion County Sheriff’s Department and Indianapolis Metro Police were trying to remove 39-year-old Wesley Cartwright from a home along Valley Lake Drive. The home had an active eviction notice. The resident of the home also has a protective order against Cartwright, which prohibited Cartwright from legally possessing a firearm.
However, Cartwright refused to leave and even threatened to kill police. That’s when the standoff officially began, just before 5 o’clock that afternoon.
The IMPD SWAT team, Indiana State Police, and Carmel Police Department joined in the effort to remove Cartwright from the home. Police spent hours negotiating with Cartwright, and tried using non-lethal tools to remove him from the home.
Cartwright responded by firing shots at police drones. No one was hurt, and police did not return fire, according to IMPD.
The standoff continued throughout the night, and by 8 o’clock Thursday morning, police had managed to take Cartwright into custody. He was wearing a ballistic vest when he was taken into custody.
IMPD says the incident lasted as long as it did to resolve the standoff peacefully.
Cartwright was taken to a hospital to be treated for potential hypothermia, after being exposed to cold temperatures for so long. He’s charged with possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, criminal recklessness, and wearing a ballistic vest during the commission of a felony. There may be more charges as the case moves forward.
