INDIANAPOLIS — On Friday afternoon, dozens gathered outside of the IMPD Southest District Office to remember the life of Officer Timothy "Jake" Laird.
Laird was shot and killed in the line of duty 20-years-ago this weekend.
"To give one's life for another is overwhelming. I think about it every day," said Timothy Conley, a retired IMPD officer, who was injured on the scene that day.
On August 18, 2004, officers were called to the 2700 block of Dietz Street. A man was armed with a rifle and two handguns and had already killed his mother when he started firing shots around the neighborhood. Three other officers were injured.
"We miss him obviously, we have to keep moving forward," said Debbie Laird, Jake's mom.
Months before the incident, the suspect was in the hospital for an emergency detention. He had weapons removed from his home, but those guns were ultimately returned.
Laird's death prompted the passing of red flag laws in Indiana, now known as the Jake Laird Law.
The law allows police to temporarily seize firearms from people who present a danger to themselves or others. A judge has 14 days to review the seize and gun owners are allowed to fight in court.
"Those young officers you saw standing over there, it gives them a tool to be able to disarm someone and hold it to the judge," said Conley.
The law was passed in 2005 and amended in 2019. Indiana is one of 21 states, plus the District of Coumbia, to have red flag laws.
Three-years-ago, the shooting at a Fed Ex facility in Indianapolis put a renewed focus on the law.
WATCH | Explaining Indiana's Jake Laird Law
The Marion County prosecutor's office and Laird's dad says it's a good law but one that needs tightening.
"I think it has prevented deaths of other officers and innocent civilians. The fact that Jake's name is associated with that just means everything to me," said Debbie Laird.
Jake Laird's family also created a foundation in his name. It gives money to officers who have been injured in the line of duty and helps pay for programs and supplies.
To date, the foundation has donated $1.3 million to police and fire departments across the Hoosier state.
