Indianapolis police share details in shooting of man with knife accused of charging officer

Update: Curtis Walker pleaded guilty to aggravated battery when the assault poses a substantial risk of death as part of an agreement with prosecutors. He was sentenced to nine years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, with six years of the sentence suspended on Feb. 21, 2023.

Indianapolis police say a 35-year-old man armed with a knife charged an officer responding to a disturbance Monday morning in an east side home before he was shot by police in an incident that lasted fewer than 10 minutes.

Before 5 a.m. Monday, dispatchers told police that Curtis Walker could be heard threatening to kill a woman while on the line with the person who dialed 911, according to new details released by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Officers responded to the home in the first block of South Colorado Avenue and heard a woman screaming inside. They ordered multiple people inside to leave the house.

Police said when officers went inside, Walker emerged from a room and “charged towards one officer with a knife in his hand.”

Two officers are believed to have fired multiple shots at Walker, who was taken to Eskenazi Hospital in critical condition. One policeman was hit in his bulletproof vest in the crossfire from another IMPD officer. He was taken to a hospital and since been released.

The other people inside the home were not hurt, police said.

Officers recovered Walker’s knife at the scene. He faces preliminary charges of two counts of attempted murder, domestic battery with a deadly weapon and battery with a deadly weapon.

IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said earlier Monday he believes officers responded appropriately.

“This is unfortunately another domestic case,” Taylor said. “Which is unfortunate because we’ve had a number of those lately.”

Multiple officers had activated body-worn cameras at the time.

IMPD’s Critical Incident Response Team and Internal Affairs are investigating the incident.

The officers who fired their guns are on administrative leave, per standard procedure in police shooting investigations.

The search for witnesses and evidence in the incident continues, IMPD said. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.

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

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis police: Update of shooting by officer of man with knife