INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The name of the officers involved in a police shooting outside of a bar on the city’s west side Saturday morning has been released by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Officers Keith Ortega and Roberto Sanchez were working off-duty security at El Chila Sports Bar located at 6380 W. 34th St. Saturday around 2 a.m. Both officers are 4-year veterans of the department.
Ortega and Sanchez were notified by security guards about a disturbance in the parking lot outside the bar. That’s near North High School Road on the city’s west side.
The officers encountered a male standing in the parking lot who had allegedly pointed a gun at a crowd outside. The officers asked the male to drop his weapon, but he did not, police said. That’s when both officers fired shots at the male, striking him.
The suspect ran from the scene but was apprehended a short time later near the intersection of 35th Street and North High School Road.
The suspect was taken to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in stable condition. He is expected to survive his injuries. No officers were hurt. A firearm was recovered at the scene and the suspect was preliminarily charged with two counts of pointing a firearm and possession of a handgun without a license.
Both officers have been placed on administrative leave.
Summary of the incident from IMPD:
- On November 13, 2020, at approximately 10 p.m., two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) police officers marked on to work off-duty employment at El Chila Sports Bar, 6380 W. 34th Street.
- At approximately 2 a.m., the officers were alerted by security guards that a disturbance was occurring outside near the entrance of the bar involving multiple people.
- As the officers approached the crowd they observed a Latino male (Person #1) standing by a vehicle in the parking lot. Person #1 had a gun and allegedly pointed the gun toward the crowd.
- Officers gave verbal commands for person #1 to drop the weapon. When person #1 failed to comply both officers fired their duty weapons striking him. Person #1 then ran from the scene toward High School Road.
- After a short foot pursuit, officers apprehended Person #1 near the intersection of 35th Street and North High School Road and began rendering medical aid.
- IEMS arrived and transported Person #1 to Eskenazi Hospital. Person #1 is currently listed in stable condition and expected to survive injuries.
- The firearm believed to belong to Person #1 was recovered in the parking lot near where the officers encountered him. (photo attached).
- The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team responded to the scene to conduct the criminal investigation. A separate internal affairs investigation is also being conducted.
- The officers who fired their weapons, both Latino males, are on administrative leave as is standard procedure in these incidents.
- Person #1 was arrested and preliminarily charged with two counts of pointing a firearm (F6) and possession of a handgun without a license (MA). The final charging decision will be up to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
- One of the officers had a body-worn camera on and operational. The second officer was not wearing a camera due to his normal duty assignment as a detective. Detectives are canvassing the area for witnesses. The IMPD is in the process of equipping 1,100 officers with body-worn cameras. As of today, over 928 cameras have been deployed to patrol personnel. The next phase of this deployment will provide a bank of cameras for use by detectives working off-duty employment. Those cameras have been ordered and we are waiting delivery by the vendor.
