Indianapolis, IN
Indy theater director charged in domestic violence incident
INDIANAPOLIS (MIRROR INDY) — A prominent leader in the arts community resigned from his role as founding artistic director of the Indianapolis Black Theater Company, after being charged with strangulation and domestic battery.
Benjamin Rose, 54, was charged after a woman told police he strangled her and slammed her head against a cabinet during an argument, according to Marion County court documents. The alleged assault happened around 2:30 a.m. Feb. 20 in Rose’s house on the southside, according to court documents, though the woman reported it March 2.
On March 5, Rose was charged with three counts: strangulation, a level 6 felony; domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor; and battery resulting in bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor.
In an interview with the IndyStar, Indianapolis visual artist Nasreen Khan described the attack and said she went forward with her story because she doesn’t want other women to have a similar experience. She said she and Rose dated and also worked together on a documentary film.
The IBTC, which is housed within The District Theatre on Mass Ave, is an equity theater created in 2023 to assist and support Black artists in the theater industry. Rose was hired after a national search. Their first official show, “Toni Stone,” was held in September 2024 and there are plans to host a Black Solos Festival and two or three plays in 2025.
In a statement emailed March 10, board members of The District Theatre and the IBTC said they terminated Rose’s consulting contract after learning about the charges. The statement was signed by Stephen Farris, IBTC board chair, and Joe Chapelle, District Theatre board chair.
“The charges are incredibly serious and stand in direct contradiction to the values of IBTC and TDC, and we take these matters extremely seriously,” they wrote. “We do not condone, nor will we ever tolerate, any form of relational or domestic violence. We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for all individuals, both within and outside of our workplace.”
Reached by email, Rose said he resigned from his position and confirmed that his contract was terminated.
“I am confident in a positive outcome regarding these charges, but I don’t want the Theater to suffer while the legal process is playing out. I am assisting IBTC in any transitional support they need,” Rose said.
Rose has been in the Indianapolis creative scene for more than 20 years. Most recently, he premiered his documentary, “Haughville, USA,” at the Kan-Kan Cinema on Feb. 28. He also founded his own media production company, The Identity Complex, and created the Black-n-Brown Soulidarity Festival.
This is not the first time Rose has been charged with domestic battery. In 2013, a former partner told police he strangled and attacked her. He was convicted of criminal confinement in the incident and sentenced to a year of probation.
Mirror Indy asked if The District Theatre knew of the previous charges against Rose, or if they did background checks on the organization’s leadership. Spokesperson Pauline Moffat said, “The board policy of TDT is not to reveal personnel information.”
In 2022, The District Theatre received a $350,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to create a training hub for Black theater artists. The Indianapolis Foundation and Lilly Endowment Inc. were early supporters of the IBTC.
Rose is scheduled to appear in Marion County Superior Court on April 9.
This story was posted March 11, 2025, on Mirror Indy. Mirror Indy reporter Mesgana Waiss covers arts and culture. Contact her at 317-667-2643 or mesgana.waiss@mirrorindy.org.
IndyGo serves 22,000 riders daily who rely on it for jobs and healthcare. The funding is voter-approved and separate from road budgets.
IndyGo paratransit services have possible 57% rate hike
Ryan Malone appreciates IndyGo paratransit rides. He has vision impairments and MS. He talks about the rides and the proposed 57% fare increase.
The April 14 letter titled, “Indianapolis doesn’t prioritize pothole repairs” raises a fair frustration shared by many drivers, but it misrepresents priorities, ignores dedicated funding streams, cherry-picks numbers and overlooks how IndyGo delivers broad, measurable value that helps roads and the city overall.
The 2026 Indianapolis city budget directs unprecedented funding to roads. The Department of Public Works’ most recent capital plan included $218 million for transportation infrastructure in 2026, in addition to key investments in additional snow removal and road maintenance equipment. DPW’s transportation capital funding has nearly tripled since 2016. Since that time, the city has resurfaced 1,279 lane miles and strip-patched 1,169 more.
The city is prioritizing basics; roads got a massive boost even with tighter revenues.
The state funding formula has disadvantaged Indianapolis by using two-lane road mileage and ignoring urban complexity. But House Enrolled Act 1461 shifts to a lane-mile formula and provides $50 million extra annually to Marion County — and state law restricts those funds to construction and reconstruction of local streets.
There are several points aimed at IndyGo that are worth correcting and adding important context the public should understand about this critical city service.
The claim that IndyGo’s $432 million budget “could go a long way toward streets” is the most misleading. The 0.25% income tax was voter-approved in 2016 — with nearly 60% voting yes — specifically and exclusively for public transit. These locally raised dollars leverage up to a 400% federal match, multiplying their impact several times over and ensuring Indianapolis captures funding that would otherwise go elsewhere. Diverting them would break a voter promise.
The “less than 2% uses the bus” stat is a classic distortion. IndyGo’s 2025 ridership included 6.7 million trips, or nearly 22,000 riders Monday through Friday. Transit serves disproportionately low-income, senior, disabled and car-free residents who rely on it for jobs, healthcare and school. It isn’t a luxury — it’s mobility infrastructure.
Public transit isn’t in competition with roads; it complements them. Every $1 invested in public transit generates $5 in broader economic activity. The Red Line alone delivered more than $7 per $1 invested, and IndyGo’s BRT network has already attracted more than $1.2 billion in corridor development.
By completion of the Blue Line, IndyGo will have paved more than 90 miles of Indy streets and built or repaired more than 1,300 ADA ramps. Nearly 7 million riders take cars off the road — fewer vehicles mean less congestion and less wear-and-tear on pavement, directly reducing potholes.
Potholes are real, but scapegoating IndyGo distracts from the actual balanced progress underway. Indianapolis is a world-class city with a great future, and the best is yet to come.
Richard Wilson is treasurer of the IndyGo Board of Directors.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Purdue University has received a $20 million commitment from the Ricks Family Foundation to establish the Purdue Institute for Healthcare Systems Innovation at the Indianapolis campus.
The institute in the Mitch Daniels School of Business aims to improve health care efficiency and effectiveness, the university said in a news release issued Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. Christina Ricks and her husband, David A. Ricks, the chair and CEO of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co., are the primary leaders of the foundation.
James “Jim” Bullard, a dean for the Daniels School of Business, said in the release, “Considering the health care situation in the U.S. today, there is a clear need for rigorous, market-informed research that challenges conventional thinking and drives new solutions. This institute will allow Purdue to lead that work and make a lasting difference.”
As Purdue works to develop its relatively new Indianapolis campus, the university recently announced that plans for a 12-story apartment building on recently acquired canal property in Indianapolis are now on hold as the university develops its campus, Mirror Indy reported.
This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
INDIANAPOLIS — A woman was critically injured in a shooting on the northeast side of Indianapolis Tuesday night.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the 5500 block of East 41st Street around 8:45 p.m. to investigate a shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult female with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Per IMPD, the victim was transported from the the scene to a local hospital in critical condition. Police reported that hospital staff later provided them with an update that indicated the victim remains in critical condition.
Investigators believe the shooting occurred inside a residence on 41st Street. One shell casing was found in the front yard of that residence near its driveway. Police do not believe that stray shell casing is related to the shooting in any way.
Law enforcement detained a person of interest during its investigation of the shooting. IMPD has not yet provided any of the detainee’s identifying information like sex, age or name.
Police do not believe the shooting poses any ongoing threat to the public. Investigators are, however, still encouraging area residents to call IMPD at (317) 327-3475 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 to pass along any information they may have on the shooting.
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