Man from ice cream truck shooting talks

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A man is behind bars after police say he tried to sneak into Wishard Memorial Hospital with a knife, wearing scrubs.

He’s actually the father of one of the victims of Tuesday night’s ice cream truck shooting near downtown.

Kevin Sandifer says he was just trying to see his son at Wishard Tuesday, when he tried to sneak into the ER.

Police reports show Sandifer had been at Wishard and had been involved in “multiple altercations” with other family members of the four victims of Tuesday night’s shooting.

Police asked them all to leave and not come back, but about a half hour later, nurses saw Sandifer walk into a public, back door of the emergency department.

“Bottom line is, I was just trying to see my son,” said Sandifer, in an interview at the Marion County Jail. “I took a walk outside, and I ended up walking around the back. I came across a door, and I walked in.”

He walked in, wearing scrubs and a surgical mask. He says he went home to get them.

“I’ve got plenty of scrubs at home myself; they’re none of their [the hospital’s] scrubs,” Sandifer added.

When asked to explain the mask, Sandifer added, “I wasn’t even looking at it like I was sneaking. The reason I had a mask, was because I was going back here where there's gunshot wounds. Didn’t want to pass no germs or something.”

Wishard Memorial Hospital spokesman Todd Harper says nurses and staff noticed him immediately and called security. Harper says Sandifer got no more than 20 feet in the building before security was called.

Police say Sandifer also had a knife.

“Man, it was a utility knife. It was a Swiss army knife that’s inside my pocket, up under he scrubs,” he said. “I couldn’t even get to it.”

But police reports show Sandifer took a “bladed stance” when security officers told him he couldn’t be in the area where his son was being treated. They say Sandifer was violent, swore profusely, and wouldn’t follow directions. After police believed they were going to be attacked, they used a stun gun on Sandifer.

“When he tased me the first time time, I snatched them out, then he tased me the second time, I snatched them out. Then he tased me again,” said Sandifer.

Finally, Sandifer was arrested, never seeing his son. For his actions, he ended up facing misdemeanors in the Marion County Jail.

Wishard Spokesperson Todd Harper says the hospital's Task Force handles all security issues, and they met Wednesday to review specifically how they handled this situation. He says he applauds the staff for how they responded.

Wishard has 21 staff members in their security department, but Harper says every staff member is trained to deal with situations like this. He didn't know if they would change anything because of what happened Tuesday, but says they're going over their security on a regular basis.

Four people were shot that Tuesday night on Ransom Street. Police say one of the shooters was driving an ice cream truck. The truck was later found in the hospital parking garage.