IMPD releases images of bullet-riddled patrol car from shooting that injured two officers
Update: The Marion County Coroner's Office identified the suspect who was killed as 46-year-old Daniel Yefter Ghebrehiwet.
Authorities in Indianapolis released images Thursday of a police car riddled with bullets by an AR-15-style rifle used in a shootout between a suspect and several officers after a brief vehicle pursuit escalated into a gun battle.
The shooting has left one suspect dead, two officers injured, and several city leaders exasperated by gun violence, which included Assistant Chief of Police Christopher Bailey.
“We are fed up with it. The community should be fed up with it,” Bailey said, raising his voice. “And we have two officers who are lucky to be alive today.”
More: Police, mayor deliver sharp remarks after two IMPD officers shot: 'We are fed up.'
Bailey gave an impassioned address Thursday afternoon at 30th Street and Post Road, where, hours earlier, an investigation into turned into a deadly encounter.
"They put on the uniform today and went out to get the people who are terrorizing our neighborhoods," he said. "We all owe them a debt of gratitude."
What happened during the shooting that injured two Indianapolis police officers?
The incident unfolded about 12:40 p.m. as officers with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force and Lawrence Police Department were investigating a previous shooting, saw a potential suspect and tried to stop the vehicle. The driver fled west on East 30th Street. Task Force officers attempted to forcibly stop the vehicle but were unsuccessful. The suspect crashed in a parking lot. An exchange of gunfire ensued between the suspect and four officers.
More: Indianapolis killings: Tracking every homicide in 2023
The injured officers were rushed to Eskenazi Hospital and are expected to recover. The shooting suspect, a 46-year-old man, was fatally shot at the scene. A passenger in the vehicle was found and taken into custody.
Bailey said the AR-15-style rifle used by the suspect sent bullets flying into one of the patrol vehicles at the scene, damaging its hood, grill, side, and both its front and back windshields.
"We were lucky today," Bailey said. "Bullets went through the metal of the car. There's a part of the car that's peeled back. That's how powerful a weapon those officers are up against."
What we know about the rifle used in the shooting
As of Thursday afternoon, officials were unable to release the exact model of rifle or caliber of bullets used during the shooting.
Bailey said members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would investigate the serial number of the rifle, doing what he called "an emergency trace" to quickly determine where the weapon came from and how the suspect acquired it.
The shooting that injured two officers wasn't Thursday's first act of gun violence. Earlier that morning, a teenager was fatally shot on the city's east side.
A school bus driver taking students to class had to stop their route and call 911 after turning from East 38th Street and seeing the injured teenager bleeding in the grass. He was found near the intersection of Breen Drive and Brentwood Avenue in a residential area.
On Sunday, a 6-year-old boy got ahold of his family's gun and pulled the trigger, fatally shooting himself. Indianapolis police have since launched a death investigation.
"We're all tired of this," Bailey said. "We're all tired of the violence."
John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. IndyStar Reporters Sarah Nelson and Jake Allen contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IMPD releases image of damaged patrol car after two officers injured
