INDIANAPOLIS — The funeral director killed over the weekend was on the phone when he was shot to death by suspects traveling in a carjacked vehicle that was being tracked by Indianapolis robbery detectives and the FBI, a court document shows.
A probable cause affidavit filed the day of the shooting alleges James D. Dixon III, 55, was approached by two men — Jashon Wallace-Carswell, 18, and Stacey Fuller, 19 — who attempted to rob him, then shot him as police tracked the vehicle driven by the suspects.
It happened about 1:35 a.m. Saturday outside of Dixon Memorial Chapel & Cremation Services, 1910 N. Belleview Place on Indianapolis' west side, of which he was the director.
The affidavit shows a covert robbery detective with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department requested and was granted a search warrant to place a tracker on the vehicle — and that he was working with an FBI special agent to follow it.
That happened after the car driven by the suspects — a 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV with an Indiana plate — was carjacked Thursday in the 5700 block of Gateway Drive, which is on the city's northwest side, according to the affidavit.
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The FBI agent started following it about 10 p.m. the night before the shooting. The agent eventually followed it all the way to the intersection of Lafayette Road and Belleview Place, near where Dixon was shot, according to the affidavit.
Initially, the agent saw what he thought was an "altercation" between the two suspects and a man later identified as Dixon, the affidavit states.
"At that time, (the FBI agent) saw a white SUV in the driveway of the Chapel and believed a robbery was about to transpire. He immediately put on his bulletproof vest. He then observed five or six flashes coming from the group of males who were in close proximity with each other," the affidavit states.
Dixon, wounded, then fell to the ground, and was later transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His death was ruled a homicide.
Around the same time the FBI agent arrived, an IMPD detective was approaching the intersection, then looked to his left and heard shots fired, according to the affidavit.
He then saw the suspects run back toward the SUV and take off southbound. The detective began to chase the SUV as the agent stayed behind to provide aid to Dixon, according to the affidavit.
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Meanwhile, IMPD SWAT officers arrived and blocked the intersection of West 16th Street and Belleview Place. It was there Wallace-Carswell got out of the SUV, dropped a .45 caliber pistol and laid on the ground. He was then taken into custody, according to the affidavit.
But Fuller got out of the SUV and fled northbound on foot. As he ran away, he fired a single shot at an unmarked police vehicle, striking its windshield. Its driver then struck the suspect, who got up with one shoe on and ran southwest across the street, according to the affidavit.
Another IMPD SWAT officer was traveling eastbound on 16th Street when he saw Fuller go to a fence on the street's south side and throw a black handgun over the fence. Fuller was then also placed under arrest, according to the affidavit.
Police would later discover Dixon was on the phone when Wallace-Carswell and Fuller approached and tried to rob him. Dixon told the men twice he did not have a wallet before he was shot.
On Wednesday, the following charges were filed:
Jashon Wallace-Carswell
- Murder — two counts
- Robbery resulting in serious bodily injury
Stacey Fuller
- Murder — two counts
- Robbery resulting in serious bodily injury
- Armed robbery — two counts
- Criminal recklessness
- Resisting law enforcement
Both men are being held without bond ahead of a jury trial scheduled for Oct. 19 at Marion Superior Court.
