Indianapolis, IN

Wrongful death lawsuit filed by estate of man shot and killed by IMPD officer

Published

1 year ago

October 28, 2024

Wrongful death lawsuit filed by estate of man shot and killed by IMPD officer

One year after Darcel Edwards was shot by an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer and later died, Edwards’ estate filed a lawsuit against the city of Indianapolis and the officer who shot him.

The lawsuit, which was filed by Roselyn Edwards Rodger, Edwards’ mother, alleges IMPD officer Gunnar Gossett lacked a reasonable probable cause before shooting Edwards on Oct. 24, 2023.

It also alleges that Indianapolis failed to provide Gossett with adequate training that would have prevented him from shooting Edwards and alleges the city tampered with physical evidence that would have been relevant to the investigation of the shooting.

The estate is demanding its case be heard by a jury.

What led up to Darcel Edwards’ death in Indianapolis

On Oct. 24, 2023, IMPD officers heard shots fired in the area of East 25th Street and Dr. Andrew J. Brown Boulevard, near Douglass Park, and noticed a vehicle speeding away about 4:15 a.m., IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams said.

An officer then made a traffic stop on the vehicle, at which point Edwards got out of his car and explained to the officer that his vehicle had been hit by another car, according to court documents.

Edwards then got back into his vehicle and fled. The IMPD officer began to follow Edwards before losing track of him, according to court documents.

More: ‘We are concerned’: Indianapolis police involved in 9th shooting since Aug. 1

IMPD officers shortly located Edwards’ vehicle, which had crashed into a tree near East 25th Street and Columbia Avenue and watched Edwards climb into a tree in a nearby backyard.

While in the tree, Edwards told the officers that he was experiencing an epilepsy episode and asked them to call his mother and doctor. Officers told him that he would receive care from medics if he came down from the tree, but he refused until the medics arrived, according to body camera footage released by IMPD.

During this interaction, officers told him to stop reaching into his pockets and to show them his hands. Gossett threatened to shoot Edwards if he failed to comply.

“If you do it again, you will be shot,” an officer is heard saying in portions of body camera footage.

Edwards is heard three times telling officers to shoot him.

“Kill me,” he said.

“No,” the officers replied.

“I’m going to my pocket then, kill me,” Edwards said. Officer Gossett then discharged his firearm, shooting him.

Edwards was transported to the hospital in critical but stable condition. He died two days later. No officers were injured.

After an investigation of the area, police were not able to locate a weapon, according to court documents.

Edwards’ estate claims excessive force, wrongful death

The lawsuit alleges that Gossett lacked probable cause to believe that Edwards was an immediate threat to him and his fellow officers, and for shooting a person who was unrelated to any ongoing crimes.

It also claims that Gossett conducted an unreasonable seizure and used excessive force, which violated Edwards’ 4th and 14th Amendment rights.

Although IMPD conducted an investigation into the shooting and concluded that Gossett was “acting under the color of the law and within the course of their employment,” Edwards’ estate believes his death was not justified and is suing Gossett individually.

The lawsuit also alleges that IMPD failed to provide proper training, supervision and monitoring of Gossett’s actions as an officer.

It also alleges that the city tampered with evidence that would have been relevant to the case, as the city had the tree where Edwards was shot by police removed within 24 hours after the shooting, according to the lawsuit.

The estate is hoping to have Gossett stand trial for the death of Edwards and the city to award the estate with compensatory damages and punitive damages for Edwards’ death.

Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com or follow him on X @1NoePadilla. Jake Allen contributed to this reporting, contact him at jake.allen@indystar.com.

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Indianapolis, IN

FBI arrests suspect at Indianapolis International Airport

Published

9 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

21 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

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

Headlines

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

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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis isn’t known for skyscrapers, but these are the 10 tallest buildings

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Indianapolis isn’t known for skyscrapers, but these are the 10 tallest buildings

Salesforce Tower is the tallest building in Indianapolis, standing at 701 feet with 49 floors.
The top three tallest buildings were all completed between 1969 and 1990.
One of the top ten, the Signia by Hilton, is currently under construction and expected to be finished in 2026.
Many of the city’s tallest buildings have been known by several different names over the years.

While Indianapolis isn’t exactly known for it’s tall buildings, we do have quite a few that tower above the city. The tallest, is visible nearly 10.5 miles outside the city.

These are the 10 tallest buildings in Indianapolis, according to Skyscraper Center.

1. Salesforce Tower

Salesforce Tower is the tallest building in Indianapolis. It’s located at 111 Monument Circle.

Construction on this building was completed in 1990. The office building boasts 49 floors and towers over the city at 701 feet tall.

It has also been known as the Chase Tower, the Bank One Tower and the American Fletcher Bank Tower.

2. One America Tower

The second tallest building in Indianapolis is the One America Tower. It is located at 200 N Illinois St., has 38 floors and is 533 feet tall.

The building was completed in 1982 and was previously known as the American United Life Insurance Tower.

3. One Indiana Square

The One Indiana Square building is the third tallest building in Indianapolis at 504 feet tall.

The building was completed in 1969 and has 37 floors. It has also been previously known as Union Planters Bank, Indiana National Bank Tower, INB Tower and NBD Bank Tower.

4. Signia by Hilton Indianapolis

Signia by Hilton, previously known as the Indianapolis Convention Center Hotel, is currently under construction, but is the fourth largest building in Indy.

The building is set to have 37 floors and be 441 feet tall once construction is complete, which is expected to happen in 2026.

5. Market Tower

Market Tower, located at 10 West Market Street, is the fifth tallest building in Indianapolis at 421 feet.

The building was completed in 1988 and has 32 floors. It has also been known as the Mansur Center.

6. 300 North Meridian

300 North Meridian, which shares a name with its address, is 408 feet tall and has 28 floors.

The building was completed in 1989 and is the sixth tallest building in Indianapolis.

7. BMO Plaza

BMO Plaza, located at 135 North Pennsylvania St. is 401 feet tall.

The building has 31 floors and was completed in 1988. It has also been known as M&I Plaza, First Indiana Plaza and Marshall & Isley Plaza.

8. JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown

Perhaps one of the most visually recognizable on this list, the JW Mariott Indianapolis, located at 10 South West St. is the eighth tallest building in Indy.

The large blue hotel was completed in 2011, stands at 376 feet and has 34 floors. Over the years, the hotel has put giant images on the side of the building to celebrate current events in both sports and pop culture.

9. City-County Building

The City-County Building, located at 200 East Washington St. is the the ninth tallest building in Indianapolis.

The building was completed in 1962 and is 372 feet tall with 28 floors.

10. 101 West Ohio

The tenth and final building on this list is 101 West Ohio. The building, which shares a name with its address, is 360 feet tall and has 22 floors.

The office building was completed in 1987 and was previously known as Old National Financial Center.

Katie Wiseman is a trending news reporter for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Contact her at klwiseman@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Bluesky @katiewiseman and X, formerly Twitter, at @itskatiewiseman.

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