INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD released body cam footage of a shooting in which officers killed a man who allegedly shot a woman and held another woman at knifepoint, near Castleton in Indianapolis in June.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Northwest District officers responded to multiple reports of shots fired and a person shot in the 9000 block of Wesleyan Road just after 3 p.m. Multiple callers reported a man crashed his truck into another car in the parking lot of a business in the area.
The callers, who gave descriptions of the firearm, said the suspect exited his pickup truck and began shooting, according to IMPD.
- 911 Dispatch: Is this a police, fire, EMS or mental health issue and what’s the location of your emergency?
- Caller: This is (unintelligible). We need the police. 9001, I think it’s Wesleyan at Fortis College. There’s a guy who just opened fire on a woman. He’s got an AK-47. It’s a black male. I can’t tell anything other than that but I’m looking through my hotel window.
- 911 Dispatch: Is anybody hurt?
- Caller: I can’t tell. I can’t tell right now but he just entered into the college.
A second caller said the following:
- Caller: I am at my office and a man just drove his truck straight into a car, got out with a shotgun and was shooting.
- 911 Dispatch: Was this toward somebody or just in the air?
- Caller: No, he was shooting at a woman.
IMPD says it was later learned that the suspect, 45-year-old Elijah Radford, knew the woman and the shooting was a result of a domestic issue between the two.
Witnesses said Radford put the firearm to the woman’s head and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire, according to IMPD.
WATCH | IMPD investigating officer-involved shooting on city’s northeast side near Castleton
Police say officers arrived at the scene as Radford entered his truck and began to drive away from the scene.
- Caller: It looks like police are there. I think they should be able to see him. But no, it looks like they are walking into the building. Oh no, he’s in his truck. Tell ‘em he’s in the truck that’s trying to drive off.
- 911 Dispatch: What color truck?
- Caller: It’s a red, or maroon, Ram. It’s wrecked in the front. He’s driving on by security now.
IMPD says officers entered the building and located two victims, a woman suffering from gunshot injuries and a man with bite wounds and other injuries. At the same time, other officers focused on the suspect fleeing in the pickup truck.
A Lawrence police officer and a Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy quickly located Radford’s vehicle. However, he did not stop for the officers and a pursuit was initiated.
The pursuit continued for several miles along Interstate 465. Radford drove at speeds up to 100 miles-per-hour, IMPD says. Radford exited I-465 at the Allisonville exit, turned east on E. 82nd Street then north on Craig Street.
With officers closing in on him, Radford cut across a grassy area into an apartment complex parking lot, police say. He crashed his truck into one of the apartment buildings.
In the video footage, IMPD Officer Lenane exited his patrol vehicle and can be heard saying, “We have to go in there,” after Radford forced his way into an apartment.
As Officer Lenane neared the door, a woman can be heard screaming inside the apartment. Investigators learned Radford knew the victim and was familiar with the apartment.
The officer went upstairs where Radford was found holding a knife to the woman’s back. He can be heard telling Radford to drop the knife, but the suspect did not comply, so Officer Lenane discharged his service weapon, striking Radford.
A Lawrence police officer entered the apartment seconds after Officer Lenane. He discharged his service weapon while on the stairs.
Radford was pronounced dead at the scene by Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services. He fell to the floor still holding the knife.
The victim that Radford held at knifepoint was not injured.
The woman who was shot and the other man who was injured at the original scene were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The man who was injured at the original scene was a Samaritan who stepped in and got the gun away from Radford. The firearm was recovered by IMPD officers.
No officers were injured in this incident.
The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team responded to the scene to conduct the criminal investigation.
A separate administrative investigation is being conducted by IMPD Internal Affairs. The Lawrence Police Department will also conduct a separate administrative investigation done by LPD Internal Affairs.
The IMPD officer and the LPD officer who fired their gun have been placed on administrative leave as is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting investigation.
The civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will conduct a mandatory hearing for any attempted use of deadly force against a person. This occurs after the conclusion of the criminal process.
