Indianapolis, IN

First day in trial of two IMPD officers for death of Herman Whitfield III

Published

1 year ago

December 2, 2024

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.

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Indianapolis, IN

Packers announce trade with Colts

Published

8 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

The Green Bay Packers have acquired LB Zaire Franklin in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for DL Colby Wooden. Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Wednesday.

(ZI-air) Franklin (6-0, 235), a ninth-year player out of Syracuse University, was originally selected by the Colts in the seventh round (No. 235 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. He played in 132 games with 82 starts for Indianapolis from 2018-25, recording 707 tackles (395 solo), 34 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 26 passes defensed, three interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Franklin also registered 31 special teams stops and a blocked punt with the Colts. The six-time team captain (2020-25) led the league with 173 tackles (93 solo) and ranked No. 2 in the NFL with a career-high five forced fumbles in 2024, earning second-team All-Pro honors from The Associated Press as well as his first career Pro Bowl selection.

From 2022-25, Franklin led the NFL in tackles (643) and ranked No. 2 in solo tackles (364). Dating back to 2000 (per TruMedia), he is the only NFL player to register 600-plus tackles (643), 10-plus sacks (10) and 10-plus forced fumbles (11) over a four-season span (2022-25). Franklin finished in the top five in the NFL in tackles in three straight seasons (No. 4 in 2022, No. 2 in 2023, No. 1 in 2024), the only player in the league to accomplish that feat over that span. He posted 10-plus tackles in 34 games from 2022-25, the most in the NFL over that span and the most in Colts history. Franklin has missed just one game due to injury in his career and ranks No. 1 among NFL linebackers in games played (132) since 2018. He will wear No. 44 for the Packers.

Wooden, who was selected by the Packers in the fourth round (No. 116 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft, played in 47 regular-season games with 17 starts for Green Bay in three seasons (2023-25), recording 87 tackles (45 solo), nine tackles for a loss, a half-sack, seven QB hits and three passes defensed. He also appeared in four postseason contests with one start for the Packers.

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Indianapolis, IN

FBI arrests suspect at Indianapolis International Airport

Published

20 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

FBI arrests suspect at Indianapolis International Airport

INDIANAPOLIS — A suspect was placed under arrest by the FBI at the Indianapolis International Airport on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the FBI Indianapolis said.

The official told WRTV the man was a suspect in a non-fatal shooting in Indianapolis that happened in the early hours of March 6, 2026.

The man, who the FBI says is a convicted felon, was first located in El Paso, Texas. He later flew to Denver, Colorado, where he boarded a plane to Indianapolis.

The FBI Indianapolis’ Violent Crimes Task Force took him into custody without incident as he deplaned in Indianapolis.

The FBI Indianapolis official added that the suspect was on federal supervised release for a previous drug trafficking case.

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Indianapolis, IN

ALERT DAY: Tornado threat north this evening; severe threat sinks south overnight

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

ALERT DAY: Tornado threat north this evening; severe threat sinks south overnight

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TORNADO & HAIL THREAT NORTH THIS EVENING
STORMS SINK SOUTH OVERNIGHT
STORMY FOR THE WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE

Severe weather will be possible for some this evening in northern locations. Most of central Indiana will remain storm-free until after midnight. The rare (for Indiana) Moderate Risk has been issued for far northwestern parts of the state this evening. Super-cell storms are expected to develop and move northeast along a cold front. Strong tornadoes will be possible, as well as very large hail, up to baseball size, in the most intense storms. The Moderate Risk is a threat level 4 out of 5.

WRTV

The best chance for the most severe storms this evening will be north of a line from Lafayette to Hartford City. If you live in this area, be very weather aware this evening and have a plan in place with your family. South of that line, we likely won’t see much storm activity until after midnight. This is when the line will start to sink south. It will weaken as it does so, but severe weather will still be possible, as well as flooding from very heavy rain.

Plan ahead for your Wednesday morning commute. Whether or not the storms are still severe, heavy rain is expected, and localized flooding will also be possible. The ground is very saturated from all the recent rain. Strong wind, hail, and even an isolated tornado will still be possible. The severe threat is just lower given the timing and how this will unfold in the weather setup.

Once the rain ends and we start to clear out, temperatures will tumble.

Indianapolis Weather Forecast:
This Evening: Severe storms north. Mostly cloudy elsewhere.
Overnight: Storms sink south. Low: 64°
Tomorrow: Stormy morning. Then drying out. Temps fall. High: 69°
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High: 49°

Indianapolis 7-Day Weather Forecast