INDIANAPOLIS — A suspect shot by Indianapolis Metro Police Saturday had a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2002 including a 2017 incident in which he rammed IMPD vehicles, records show.
George Leachman, 42, is now in the Marion County jail on charges related to a police-involved shooting on the east side, according to IMPD.
Leachman has served time in state prison for resisting law enforcement, criminal recklessness, battery, auto theft, and burglary, records show.
In 2017, Leachman rammed a stolen truck into IMPD vehicles, hospitalizing two IMPD officers for minor injuries.
WRTV video showed Leachman taken away from the scene by stretcher.
Records show Leachman was convicted in 2018 of two counts of Battery with Bodily Injury to a Public Safety Officer, Resisting Law Enforcement where defendant uses a vehicle to commit the offense, as well as Criminal Mischief.
A Marion County judge sentenced Leachman in 2018 to three years in Community Corrections including electronic monitoring, but he cut off the monitoring device, court records show.
Officers discovered Leachman had cut off the GPS during an October 2018 incident in which officers had to use bean bag rounds and a taser to arrest Leachman because he would not comply with commands.
Court records show in 2018 Leachman was seated in a passenger front seat and told the driver to, “GO GO GO run these motherf****ers over,” referring to police.
Leachman was convicted in 2019 in connection with that incident with Resisting Law Enforcement where the defendant uses a vehicle to commit the offense and Criminal Recklessness committed with a deadly weapon.
A judge sentenced him in 2019 to three years in IDOC with 128 days of jail credit.
He was incarcerated at the Westville Correctional Facility from June 2019 to August 2021, according to IDOC.
Leachman was incarcerated at Indiana Department of Correction facilities during these time frames:
- 1/17/2003 – 9/6/2004
- 6/15/2006 – 3/30/2007
- 5/24/2007 – 6/16/2010
- 3/21/2011 – 6/11/2011
- 11/30/2011 – 10/9/2013
- 7/1/2015 – 9/2/2016
- 5/5/2017 – 6/28/2017
- 6/12/2019 – 8/6/2021
Rick Snyder, President of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police #86, issued a statement to WRTV criticizing Marion County's criminal justice system.
"This is yet another example of the broken revolving door of Criminal Justice in Marion County.
Indiana’s Capital City continues to reap what’s been sown by de-criminalizing the criminals while at the same time de-policing the police…it’s proven to be a recipe for disaster.
We are fortunate that we don’t have several dead cops from this violent attack.
Despite the failed policies of local politicians in charge which have served to embolden repeat violent offenders…Indy Metro Police Officers continue to stand in harm’s way to protect the residents, visitors and business owners of the neighborhoods they serve.
We ask the community to continue to pray for police.”
Police said Saturday's shooting involving Leachman started as a pursuit of a stolen vehicle from New Haven, Indiana that they were alerted to on Thursday.
An officer attempted to stop the truck when Leachman backed up and rammed the police car causing the car to be disabled, police said.
More officers attempted to stop the suspect, but they were led on a pursuit that resulted in the suspect ramming two additional police cars.
The pursuit ended when officers fired at the suspect in the 300 block of Poplar Road.
According to police, Leachman was shot by two officers and was transported to the hospital in stable condition.
None of the 3 officers were shot during the incident and IMPD did not say if the suspect fired at the officers.
IMPD says they were transported to the hospital for minor injuries from crashing and being rammed by the suspect's vehicle.
Police said multiple body-worn cameras were activated during this incident.
Leachman was arrested for three counts of battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting law enforcement, which are both felonies, according to a police report.
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