Police release bodycam footage of shooting that left suspect dead, officer hurt

Update: Indianapolis Metropolitan Police on Dec. 8 released a critical incident video showing portions of what transpired before the shooting of Frederick Davis. Officials have previously identified the officer who shot and killed Davis and was also wounded as 5-year-veteran patrol officer Nicolas Deem. They later said his injuries were worse than initially thought, with "significant bullet fragments" in his leg that may remain there forever.

Previous coverage: A man family members said suffers from mental health issues is dead and an officer was wounded after a trespassing investigation turned into gunfire.

The shooting happened shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday at a Burger King near the intersection of East 21st Street and North Shadeland Avenue. The Marion County Coroner's Office identified the man as 37-year-old Frederick Davis.

Family members of Davis said he panhandles in the area.

IMPD East District officers were investigating in the 6900 block of East 21^st Street, a news release stated, when an officer recognized Davis, who had been trespassed from The Rodeway Inn, catty-corner to the Burger King.

"During that encounter, they asked the individual to put his hands on the car," said Assistant Chief Chris Bailey. "He did not comply and fled from the officers on foot."

Bailey said officers were familiar with Davis, who next ran into the Burger King restaurant.

Ashley Lawrence, a Burger King employee, said Davis has been to the fast food chain location before, but this time he seemed different, describing him as appearing more "rushed." She said when he came into the restaurant Thursday, he tried entering the bathrooms, which were closed.

Lawrence said when she told Davis he couldn't enter the restrooms, he moved closer to the building's office doors and tried taking off his clothes for reasons unknown.

Officers arrived minutes later and found Davis near the restrooms. The officers grabbed him by the hands to get him to leave and he began to resist, Bailey said.

At that point, Lawrence said, the officers and Davis began "tussling" and fell to the ground.

"Y'all are going to have to kill me in this (expletive)," she recalled Davis saying. The video released by police Dec. 8 did not capture these comments.

More: Every time Indianapolis police have shot a person so far in 2023

During the fight, Davis was able to unholster the officer's gun and a shot was fired, striking the officer in the leg, Bailey said. The officer is in good condition having suffered a 'graze' wound. He used his secondary weapon to shoot Davis as he remained on the ground, Bailey said.

Lawrence remembers hearing four "pops."

In portions of body camera footage released after the shooting, Davis is seen running out of the restaurant after firing the gun and being shot. The officers chased close behind. He continued running until he stumbled to the ground in the parking lot. Deem followed behind seconds later, telling officers he was OK.

Davis was taken to the hospital in critical condition but died after arriving.

What is going on?: Indianapolis police shootings highest in years.

Jeffrey Hartley, a relative, said he was there shortly after the shooting and witnessed his cousin bleeding in the parking lot as medics began lifesaving measures.

“I cried earlier. I broke down,” he said. “You never think it’s going to happen to you until it does. My cousin had mental health issues. Indianapolis needs to invest more in mental health" services.

Thursday's shooting is the latest in a string involving Indianapolis police officers in the last few months. The city has seen 14 shootings involving officers this year and 10 since Aug. 1.

"It's not lost on us that having so many in a short period of time people are asking, 'Why?'. We don't have those answers. Each shooting has their own sets of facts and circumstances," Bailey said, promising the department would conduct a review of its police shootings.

"We're going to look for some consultants to look at every one of these incidents, take a look at training, take a look at suspect behavior and all those indicators to see if there's any commonality that exists," Bailey said.

The officer who fired his gun has been placed on administrative leave, a news release stated, as is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting investigation.

Along with a separate administrative investigation, the civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will conduct a mandatory hearing for any attempted use of deadly force against a person, a news release stated.

Sharron Cannon, 68, of Indianapolis stood outside a Shell gas station across the block and stared over the sea of flashing police lights. She was there, she said, because the man police shot is her nephew.

“This is ridiculous,” Cannon said, talking about the recent number of police shootings. “I ain’t seen anything like this since the 70s. It's just unreal.”

On Tuesday, one man was shot by an officer and later died after he fled a traffic stop then crashed on the north side of the city.

John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.

Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis police shooting kills Frederick Davis outside Burger King