Docs: Man charged with murder following downtown riot
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man has been charged with murder for the shooting death of an 18-year-old man.
Tyler Newby, 29, is charged for the murder of Dorian Murrell.
Murrell was found shot near the intersection of Pennsylvania and Market streets just before 2:30 a.m. on May 31, after protests turned to riots in downtown Indianapolis.
Court documents indicate Newby turned himself in shortly after, approaching a Marion County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy and saying, “I don’t know who I need to tell, but I just shot somebody.”
Murrell’s half-brother spoke to a detective about the situation.
He said “Mr. Murrell was in an altercation with a white male,” then stated “there was no physical altercation that occurred nor does he recall any verbal argument between Mr. Murrell and the other male,” according to court documents.
He also told detectives that the situation happened quickly.
A friend of Newby also spoke to investigators.
He claimed he and Newby “thought things had calmed down so they came downtown to see what all had happened,” according to court documents.
The friend said a group of people approached him after “he picked up an orange/red gas canister that had been discharged.”
He said the group asked what he found. Newby said his friend didn’t want to show the group. The friend said a portion of the group “walked towards him and kind of pushed him a little bit, but no one hit him,” according to court documents.
Newby said he “felt a hand on his back and then he was shoved from behind and fell to the ground.” When he rolled over, he said someone was standing over him. He said “the male did not say anything to him nor did he strike him.”
Newby then pulled out his gun and fired one shot, according to court documents.
“It all happened so fast, it was just a reaction,” Newby told investigators.
An autopsy revealed Murrell was shot in the heart.
Online court records indicate Newby made an appearance in court on Thursday. No future court dates are listed.
