Man shot by police on east side after pursuit in stable condition, IMPD says
UPDATE: On March 3, 2023 police named 4-year veteran Officer Donald Fague and 7-year veteran Officer Michael Herrera as the officers who fired their weapons in the shooting.
A man shot by Indianapolis police Saturday is facing possible felony charges that include battery of an officer and resisting law enforcement after officials say he rammed a stolen pickup into three police vehicles.
The shooting, which followed a police pursuit involving a stolen vehicle, happened in the 300 block of Poplar Road ― near Michigan Street and Emerson Avenue.
George Leachman, 42, the man shot by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers, was listed in stable condition, according to a news release issued Saturday.
Shortly before 5 p.m., officers located a stolen Ford F-250 near East 19th Street and North Campbell Avenue. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver of the pickup rammed the police vehicle. The officer in that vehicle suffered minor head injuries, according to department spokesperson Lt. Shane Foley.
Officers again located the pickup and a pursuit ensued. The pickup driver then backed up into a police vehicle, injuring an officer’s legs before the driver struck a third vehicle, injuring an officer’s arm, Foley said.
All three officers were expected to be released from the hospital Saturday night.
Officers were informed a firearm was reported stolen along with the vehicle. While trying to arrest Leachman, two officers shot and injured him. Leachman was taken to the hospital in stable condition, Foley said. It was not known Monday if he'd pointed a firearm or shot at police.
Leachman is facing preliminary charges that include three counts of battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting law enforcement — both felonies. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office will make final charging decisions.
The officers who shot Leachman will be placed on administrative leave, per policy. The civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will conduct a mandatory hearing for any attempted use of deadly force against a person, a later news release stated.
Poplar Road was closed for several hours Saturday night while police investigated. As temperatures continued to fall, blue and red police lights lit up nearby brick and vinyl-sided homes. It was an unfamiliar sight to Roderick Sanders, who lives blocks away in the Willard Park neighborhood.
An east-side resident for the past 18 years, Sanders said he normally takes walks around Ellenberger Park to get in shape.
"I've never seen anything like this in this particular area," he said, adding that he lamented crime and gun violence overall in the city.
"We need to target getting the guns off of the streets," Sanders said. "Where are all these guns coming from and how are they all so easily accessible? I think our police department needs to address where these guns are coming from."
John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.
IMPD had an officer-involved shooting in the 300 block of Poplar (Near Michigan and Emerson). Multiple officers received non-life-threatening injuries during the incident. None of the officers’ injuries were the result of gunfire. There is no ongoing threat to the public. pic.twitter.com/rW2sdLctq2
— IMPD (@IMPDnews) February 25, 2023
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis police shooting: Man shot by officers in stable condition
