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Indianapolis man leads class action lawsuits claiming rental discrimination

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Indianapolis man leads class action lawsuits claiming rental discrimination


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man is leading two class action lawsuits, accusing two separate housing providers of discriminatory practices in their rental policies.

Marckus Williams and the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana are suing Tricon Residential and Progress Residential, two nationwide housing providers that collectively managing more than 130,000 properties.

Williams tells I-Team 8 that he had long since served his time for a felony conviction, and even had his record expunged, when both housing providers denied his rental applications. 

“This is not just me. This is an everyday thing for people who have felonies,” Williams said. 

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Williams says he’s changed since being convicted on drug charges in 2012. He now co-owns the Indy Fresh Market, a grocery built to serve an Indianapolis food desert.

“I did my time, I came home, I’m an advocate for the community,” Williams said.

Amy Nelson, the executive director of Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, says the lawsuits are aimed at ending “blanket bans” on criminal and eviction history. The center advocates for applicants to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

“Past histories, past crimes should not always be continually held against us,” Nelson said. “People deserve second chances, particularly those who paid their debt to society.”

The housing center’s lawsuit against Progress alleges “arbitrary criminal history policies.”

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It claims a Progress “blanket ban” on renting to people with felony convictions led to Black applicants being disqualified at a rate more than eight times than the proportion of white people disqualified,  between 2012 and 2021.

The housing center says Tricon’s ban on renting to people with felonies disqualified Black applicants more than five times the amount of white applicants in the last seven years. 

Tricon Residential told I-Team 8 in a statement, “Tricon Residential adheres to all fair housing laws and believes the allegations in this suit are baseless. We review resident applications fairly, ethically, and objectively, employing a ‘blind’ screening process not dissimilar from procedures used to review applicants for mortgages, apartment rentals, car leases, and credit cards.”

A spokesperson for Progress Residential said, “As a leading professional property manager, we are committed to promoting a fair and equitable screening process for all applicants.  Although we do not comment on pending litigation, we take these allegations seriously and are currently reviewing the claims made in the lawsuit.”

Both class action lawsuits are still adding plaintiffs nationwide.

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The housing center asks that anyone who believes they have experienced similar discrimination involving this company to contact them.



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Indianapolis, IN

IMPD: Man stabbed in downtown Indianapolis

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IMPD: Man stabbed in downtown Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS — A person was stabbed in downtown Indianapolis Sunday evening.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the intersection of East Market and North Delaware Streets around 8:28 p.m. to investigate a stabbing. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult male victim with apparent stab wounds.

Photo of IMPD investigating a stabbing at the intersection of East Market and North Delaware Streets on April 19, 2026, captured by a FOX59/CBS4 crew.

IMPD has confirmed that the victim was transported from the scene to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.

Investigators believe the stabbing “stemmed from a disturbance between multiple individuals and the victim.”

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IMPD has reported that it has not identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest at this point in its investigation of the stabbing. Police have indicated that they are hoping witnesses come forward with information that can help them identify or locate the suspects.

“The officers now are doing a complete investigation,” IMPD Lieutenant Frank Wooten said during a media briefing Sunday night. “They’re going to investigate this to the best of their ability. We’re going to try to locate our suspect, arrest the suspect, prosecute the suspect and hold that suspect accountable for this heinous crime in Indianapolis. This is not an indication of what our city is about. This is not an indication of what we do downtown, and we hold this to be very serious. So, we will hold whoever did this responsible for their actions tonight.”

Sunday night’s stabbing represented a continuation of a violent weekend in downtown Indianapolis.

Early Sunday morning, two men were critically injured in a shooting near a White Castle on South Street. Before that shooting occurred, police arrested two juveniles on gun charges at Monument Circle.

Police also conducted a shooting investigation near the Hilton hotel located at 120 W. Market St. around 4 a.m. Sunday. Nobody was injured in that shooting.

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Elsewhere in the city, a person was injured in a shooting in a CVS parking lot on Kentucky Avenue Saturday evening. Another individual was killed in a shooting outside a residence in the 2300 block of South Pennsylvania Street Saturday night.

Public police reporting systems indicate IMPD has investigated nine shootings that caused injuries since midnight Saturday. During that same timeframe, IMPD has investigated six shootings that did not result in any injuries and five stabbings.

Numbers available on shootings and stabbings in IMPD’s public reporting system may not be complete, as some reports on weekend shootings and stabbings may not have been entered yet.

“This is not what we want Indianapolis to be,” Wooten said. “This is not what we expect out of the citizens of Indianapolis. We expect them to be safe, come downtown and have a good time, and be able to go home the same way they came down here. So, we will hold these suspects, once located, accountable for this crime.”

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Indianapolis, IN

1 dead after shooting on Indy’s near south side

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1 dead after shooting on Indy’s near south side


INDIANAPOLIS — One person died in a shooting on Indy’s near south side on Saturday evening.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the 2300 block of S. Pennsylvania Street at approximately 9:45 p.m. on report of a shooting. This is a residential area located near Raymond Street and Madison Avenue.

Officers reported finding an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound outside a residence. The victim was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition, but later was pronounced deceased.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office has not released the deceased’s name at this time.

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Police ask anyone with information about this shooting to contact Detective Kristina Friel at the IMPD Homicide Office at (317) 327-3475 or e-mail the detective at Kristina.Friel@indy.gov. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-TIPS.



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Indianapolis, IN

Pirates farm report for April 18, 2026: Rafael Flores Jr. hits 1st homer in Indianapolis win

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Pirates farm report for April 18, 2026: Rafael Flores Jr. hits 1st homer in Indianapolis win


INDIANAPOLIS (Triple A, 6-14) thumped Omaha (Royals), 11-3. 1B Rafael Flores Jr. (.206) went 2 for 3 with a double, his first home run, two runs scored and three RBIs. LF Tyler Callihan (.239) went 3 for 4 with a double and his first homer, a two-run shot. DH Enmanuel Valdez (.273) went 2 for 4 with his first homer and three runs scored. RF Esmerlyn Valdez (.258) went 2 for 5 with two doubles and a run scored. SS Davis Wendzel (.269) went 1 for 3 with a double, two walks, two runs scored and two RBIs. RHP Carson Fulmer (2-0, 5.51) started, gave up three runs on three hits in five innings and earned the win. RHP Chris Devenski (1.50) and LHP Joe La Sorsa (3.24) each pitched two scoreless innings.

Next: Sunday at Omaha (Royals), 3:05 p.m.

ALTOONA (Double-A, 2-12) had two hits – both solo home runs – and beat Portland (Red Sox), 2-0. LHP Dominic Perachi (1-0, 1.80) started and went six innings, allowing three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. RHP Landon Tomkins (3.38) followed with two scoreless. RHP Jaycob Deese (3.00) worked the ninth for his first save. LF Titus Dumitru (.146) went 1 for 3 with his second homer. C Shawn Ross (.182) went 1 for 3 with his second homer.

Next: Sunday vs. Portland (Red Sox), 1 p.m.

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GREENSBORO (High-A, 10-4) lost 8-3 to Brooklyn (Mets). C Easton Carmichael (.273) went 2 for 4 with an RBI. RF Shalin Polanco (.250) went 1 for 3 with a stolen base and an RBI. 1B Jared Jones (.277) went 2 for 5 with a run scored. RHP Carlson Reed (0-1, 7.36) started, recorded one out and gave up four runs on two hits and four walks. RHP Jose Garces (3.60) pitched two scoreless innings.

Next: Sunday at Brooklyn (Mets), 2 p.m.

BRADENTON (Low-A, 5-9) allowed seven stolen bases in its 6-5 loss to Tampa (Yankees). CF Edward Florentino, starting a rehab assignment as he recovers from an ankle injury, went 1 for 3 with a walk, double and run scored. LHP Reinold Navarro (6.43) started and gave up three hits, four walks and two earned runs over three innings while striking out five. SS/1B Eddie Rynders (.128) went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. DH Edgleen Perez (.238) went 1 for 4 and drove in two runs. LF/CF Josh Tate (.208) went 2 for 5 with an RBI. 2B/SS Antonio Pimentel (.154) went 2 for 4 with a double. RHP Greiber Mendez (5.40) and RHP Noah Murdock (0-1, 9.00), who took the loss, each gave up two hits and one run in one inning. RHP Treyson Peters pitched the final three innings, allowing five hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out two.

Next: Sunday at Tampa (Yankees), noon

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