Indianapolis, IN
First day in trial of two IMPD officers for death of Herman Whitfield III
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The trial for two Indianapolis police officers is underway two years after being charged in the death of a man who died while being restrained.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officers Adam Ahmad and Steven Sanchez are charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, and battery for the April 2022 death of 39-year-old Herman Whitfield III.
Police were called to his home by his parents for a mental health crisis.
Monday’s testimony centered heavily around the body camera video from multiple officers who were on the scene.
The videos from both Officer Ahmad and Officer Sanchez were shown to the jury. Ahmad watched the video, while Sanchez appeared to sit and look straight ahead.
The footage shows officers trying to get Whitfield to put clothes on so they could take him to the hospital. It also shows Sanchez using his taser twice, after which IMPD officers forced Whitfield III to the ground and put him in handcuffs.
The defense is arguing the taser did not shock Whitfield III because both prongs of the taser did not stick into his body when Officer Sanchez shot him with it.
The prosecution is putting a lot of focus on the position that Whitfield III was in after officers cuffed him.
He was face down in a prone position for several minutes while officers cuffed him and called for the paramedics outside of the home to come inside to help transport him to the hospital.
IMPD policy states that officers must move someone in custody out of the prone position as soon as possible to avoid asphyxiation.
The prosecution is arguing that officers Ahmad and Sanchez did not follow their training, while they also held him down in the prone position.
The defense argues that Ahmad and Sanchez were not putting downward pressure on Whitfield III while they waited for paramedics to come inside, and that they followed IMPD policy while placing Whitefield III in handcuffs.
The Marion County coroner ruled his death a homicide, saying his heart stopped while being restrained.
Both the prosecution and defense are expected to call their own medical experts to present their findings on the cause of death to the jury.
Whitfield’s parents have also sued the city and IMPD in a pair of civil cases. Those cases could head to court sometime after this trial wraps up.
Marion County Superior Court Judge Charles Miller told the court Monday that the trial will only last one week.
Indianapolis, IN
IMPD asks for help to find missing 26-year-old man
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis police on Tuesday asked for the public’s help to find a missing 26-year-old man with autism.
Tyrese Pepper was described as being 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. He was wearing a dark-colored jacket with a Colts logo and navy jogger pants.
He was last seen riding a navy-and-white bicycle eastbound on East 21st Street, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
IMPD says Pepper is nonverbal and autistic.
If located, please call 911 immediately.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis councilman says ‘No Data Centers’ note was left at his home after someone opened fire
The home of a councilman in Indianapolis was shot at early Monday in what local police said was an “isolated, targeted incident.”
The incident came less than a week after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission voted 6 to 2 on April 1 to approve rezoning to allow the construction of a data center.
Ron Gibson, a Democrat who represents District 8 on the council, spoke out in support of the rezoning and the efforts to build the data center in his district.
“Earlier this morning, between approximately 12:45 a.m. and 12:50 a.m., just a few hours after Easter Sunday, an individual fired 13 rounds at the front door of my home and left a note on my doorstep that read, ‘No Data Centers,’” Gibson said in a Monday statement.
Councilman Ron Gibson
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it was called to the home on Monday morning, and officers found evidence that gunshots had been fired at the house. Police said no injuries were reported.
“I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk,” Gibson said in his statement.
The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
The data center is set to be built by Metrobloks, a data center developer based in Los Angeles. Following the vote last week, Gibson shared a statement on social media promoting the project.
“Metrobloks has the potential to bring significant investment, create jobs, and generate long-term tax revenue that supports infrastructure, housing, and essential services,” the statement said.
A data center boom is happening across the US, with companies pouring billions into building the infrastructure to keep up with demand in the era of AI. The data centers have faced increased opposition, with critics pointing to the high resource costs, from water to energy, and other issues like noise pollution, as detailed in a Business Insider investigation.
Indianapolis, IN
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