IMPD Investigates Police Shooting on East Side

Source: (Photo: Joe Choe16/Thinkstock.)

INDIANAPOLIS — A woman was carjacked, held at gunpoint, and forced to drive around the east side of Indianapolis on Sunday. That is what eventually led to the shooting in which the suspect was wounded by gunfire from IMPD officers.

It happened in the late afternoon and into the early evening, say IMPD officers. A woman said that she had stopped and that’s when a man she didn’t know jumped into her car with a gun and pointed it at her and told her to drive.

“The female driver of the car, there’s no information that she knew the suspect,” said Kendale Adams, deputy chief for IMPD. “She was totally surprised by this individual that jumped in her car and threatened her with a gun.”

Officers were nearby investigating an unrelated theft case near 10th street and North Kealing Avenue and having driven by them before, the woman decided to drive back by them again and get their attention. That’s when she got out of the car and the suspect whole up inside the car.

Refusing to put the gun down when ordered to, one of the officers saw the man point the gun at the officers. That’s when one shot was fired hitting the suspect who was then tased by the same officer who fired their gun as the officers struggled to get the gun away from him. They eventually did and the suspect was taken to the hospital in bad shape.

“There is no way in my mind that this could have been prevented,” said IMPD chief Chris Bailey. “Other than the person not forcefully taking the woman and kidnapping her and forcing her to drive around while a gun was pointed to her head. If anyone else knows of a better way I’m all ears.”

This was the first of two shootings involving IMPD officers on Sunday. The other happened in Southport. That’s now 13 shootings involving IMPD cops this year.