The trial of two police officers accused in the killing of Herman Whitfield III continues Tuesday.

Whitfield, a 39-year-old Black man, died after police responded to a 911 call from his parents — Gladys Whitfield and Herman Whitfield Jr. — for a mental health emergency about 3:20 a.m. April 25, 2022. Five police officers and one recruit trainee responded to the Whitfield house, where they shocked, handcuffed and restrained him face-down. He became unresponsive and died shortly after he was taken to an area hospital.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office ruled Whitfield’s death a homicide from heart failure while under law enforcement restraint. The autopsy noted obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease as other contributing conditions. Toxicology tests showed cannabinoids, including Delta-9 and THC, in Whitfield’s system. There were no signs of alcohol or other medication. 

The death of Whitfield, who was a gifted pianist, sparked widespread calls for police accountability and clinician-led mental health emergency response.

More than a year after his death, a grand jury indicted two of the officers over their roles in the fatal encounter.

Adam Ahmad and Steven Sanchez face charges of reckless homicide, involuntary manslaughter, battery, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and battery resulting in severe bodily injury. Both remain on paid administrative duty with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Read Day 1 testimony: Father describes moments leading to fatal 911 call in trial of 2 Indianapolis officers

This article will be updated.

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 (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts went into the Patriot’s den and did something we’ve been waiting almost twenty years for: they won in Foxboro.

Colts Contributor Heather Lloyd joined Daybreak to celebrate beating the Patriots.

“It was rivalry week for the Colts as they face their former nemesis in New England. Instead of Manning and Brady, two veterans at the top of their game, it was Richardson and May, the two youngest quarterbacks in the league,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd said May proved himself as a “starter and a potential star,” but the same couldn’t be said for Richardson until his comeback win.

Richardson was 12 of 24 for 109 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. “But when it mattered most, he was calm, cool, and confident,” Lloyd said.

“With the ball in his hands, Anthony Richardson ran it in for a 25-24 lead with seconds on the clock,” Lloyd said.

Armed with a win, the Colts head into bye week to battle their way into the playoffs.