Narcotics Suspect Flees from Police, Treated for Possible Narcotics Ingestion, Later Dies in Hospital
INDIANAPOLIS - On Thursday, November 7, 2024, an undercover Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officer with the FBI Safe Streets Taskforce witnessed a drug transaction involving an adult male suspect armed with a firearm at around 4:40 p.m.
The undercover officer called for assistance from the IMPD Criminal Interdiction Section and uniformed IMPD officers to conduct a narcotic investigation of the suspect they had seen conducting drug transactions. Criminal Interdiction detectives were able to track the vehicle to the area of E. 30th Street and Post Road.
Interdiction detectives attempted a traffic stop in the area of E. 30th Street and Post Road and the suspect vehicle fled from officers. Interdiction officers called for the assistance of IMPD East District officers to assist in the pursuit.
During the pursuit, officers observed the suspect hit a mailbox and strike an IMPD police vehicle, damaging the front bumper. The officer driving this police vehicle was not injured. The pursuit concluded when the suspect crashed into an uninvolved vehicle near the 9200 block of Neptune Drive. The driver and child passenger were checked out and released by medics at the scene. The pursuit lasted approximately six minutes.
Following the crash, the suspect ran from the vehicle, and responding officers ran after him and took the suspect to the ground. The suspect struggled and was resisting officers' attempts to place handcuffs on him and placed his hands in his mouth swallowing suspected narcotics. The suspect was then handcuffed and taken into custody. The suspect was placed on his side and then stood up immediately for recovery. Officers believing the suspect may have ingested narcotics requested a medic to respond. Officers asked the suspect several times to spit out the possible narcotics, but he did not.
The suspect was awake and breathing at the scene. The suspect was then taken to Eskenazi Hospital by Indianapolis Emergency Services (IEMS). While in the ambulance, the suspect regurgitated suspected narcotics. The suspected narcotics were collected as evidence and will be submitted for testing and further analysis to the Marion County Forensic Services Agency. At the hospital, the suspect’s condition deteriorated and despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced deceased.
A firearm was located in the suspect’s vehicle (photo attached). The firearm was collected and submitted as evidence and will undergo firearms testing and examination.
The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team responded to the scene to conduct the death investigation. A separate administrative investigation is being conducted by IMPD Internal Affairs. The Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency is assisting with this investigation.
Multiple officers were wearing body-worn cameras, which were activated during this incident. Two of the involved IMPD vehicles are equipped with in-car cameras, which captured the pursuit and crash.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office responded to the hospital and is investigating the nature and cause of death. The MCCO will provide the identity of the deceased after proper identification and next-of-kin notification
The Police Officer Support Team (POST) was on-scene to provide peer support for officers.
Case# IP240106209
