IMPD investigating threat against officer
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Troy Riggs said Sunday that the department has launched an investigation into who threatened an officer.
Riggs said the threat came on social media within the last week. IMPD and other local and state agencies say they won’t be deterred.
“We still have a job to do,” Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine said. “We still have to answer that call. We still have to provide that protection and security for people so that they can be safe in their communities. The same people who hate everything about police officers– who hate me to the core — I can assure you that if they called 911 and needed help, we would be there without hesitation.”
Perrine says days like Sunday, with three of his colleagues gunned down in Baton Rouge, are the hardest.
“It’s scary times for us out there, and we’re going to keep getting up, and we’re going to keep going to work, but these events are wearing very heavily on our hearts right now,” he said.
Sunday’s tragedy comes as flags are still at half-staff for the five officers who were killed in Dallas two weeks ago. And Riggs is still wearing a black band around his badge.
“People have a freedom of speech, but anyone advocating violence is advocating something that is a path to nowhere,” Riggs said.
Photos of the 61 local officers killed in the line of duty are in IMPD headquarters. He says the only way to prevent another portrait from hanging on the wall is to work together.
“We say all the time: If you see something, say something about homeland security, about crime issues. We’re asking for the same consideration for our officers safety as well,” Riggs said.
“The people are the police and the police are the people,” Gary Woodruff, deputy chief of the Lawrence police Department, said.
Woodruff says the only way scenes like those in Baton Rouge and Dallas won’t be repeated is to learn from them.
“Communication in every way is key. That’s always the key to understanding,” Woodruff explained.
Despite what seems like a constant barrage of bad news, Woodruff, Riggs and Perrine said they’re also encouraged. They say they have many more positive interactions with locals than negative ones.
