INDIANAPOLIS (August 9, 2015) – Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers shot and killed a teenager on the city’s northeast side late Sunday night.
Police identified the deceased as 15-year-old Andre Green.
According to police, officers were following a car from an armed carjacking around 10:15 p.m. in the 3100 block of Thompkins Square Court. The suspects allegedly shot out the windows at citizens as they fled the scene.
Around 11 p.m. police spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the vehicle stolen in the carjacking.
The vehicle turned onto Butler Avenue into a cul-de-sac, and the officers turned on their lights to initiate a traffic stop. An IMPD spokesperson said the vehicle then rammed into the driver’s side of a police car.
Police say multiple passengers got out of the suspect vehicle and ran between the fence line of a nearby apartment complex. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Green, refused to comply with the officers’ requests to get out of the vehicle. Police say he again tried to hit officers with the vehicle, and narrowly missed.
Three officers fired at the car, striking Green, who got out of the vehicle with a handgun and then immediately collapsed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have not yet located the remaining suspects, but IMPD Officer Chris Wilburn says there is no active search for them at this time. The involved officer will be placed on administrative leave, as is standard procedure in any officer involved shooting investigation.
There is no dash cam, body cam, or civilian video of the incident.
In fact, during a press conference Monday afternoon IMPD Assistant Chief Lloyd Crowe said it is very common for police cruisers to not have dashcams.
Chief Crow said they feel the officers’ lives were in danger. “Not only did this young man have the propensity to use a firearm, but he also had the car to use as a weapon,” said Chief Crowe.
The police department’s guidelines allow officers to shoot at the driver of car if it’s perceived the vehicle is being used as a weapon.
Chief Crowe said he did not want to go into Green’s criminal history since he’s a juvenile, but he did say Green was wearing an ankle bracelet at the time of the shooting. “There were demonstrations from his social media and other things that led us to believe this young man was going down the wrong path,” said Crowe.
Green’s great aunt Angela Lamb says she’s heard conflicting stories about the moments before police shot her nephew.
“Some people are saying he got out with hands up, but police are saying another story,” said Lamb.
Green’s family admits the teen did have a troubled past, but they still question whether police were justified pulling the trigger.
“He’s made mistakes, but he’s a kid. He was 15,” said Lamb.
IMPD says this is still an ongoing investigation, and they want anyone with any information about the incident to call 317-327-3475 .
