IMPD IDs 4 officers who fired weapons, killing woman on near-northwest side
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police on Friday afternoon identified the four officers who fired shots and killed a woman “who reached for her weapon” a week ago on a home’s porch on the city’s near-northwest side.
The officers are Dylan Sheets, Keith Shelton, Joshua Smith and Joseph Reynolds. Each has spent from 2-3 years with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. An IMPD news release issued Friday did not say whether it’s been determined which officer or officers fired the fatal shot at Jessie Leonard, 36, or how many shots were fired.
Around 1:30 p.m. Sept. 24, officers attempted a traffic stop in the 3800 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. The car, a red Honda Pilot, failed to pull over and fled from police. Officers did not pursue the vehicle.
Around 2:30 p.m., an officer located an unoccupied vehicle matching the same description parked in front of a home in the 500 block of Eugene Street. That’s west of the I-65 interchange for West 29th and 30th streets.
Officers began an investigation and were having the vehicle towed from Eugene Street when they noticed Leonard standing on the front porch of a home. The officers approached her, and she exposed a firearm on her waist. Leonard failed to comply with officers’ orders and pulled out her firearm, IMPD says.
No officers were hurt, IMPD said Sept. 24.
The four officers were equipped with body-worn cameras, but IMPD has not yet released any video.
An IMPD news release issued Sept. 24 said, “A separate administrative investigation is being conducted by IMPD’s Internal Affairs. The officers who fired their service weapons have been placed on administrative leave as is standard practice in an officer-involved shooting investigation.
“The civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will conduct a mandatory review of this incident as it does for any use of deadly force against a person.”
Anyone with information about the fatal shooting was asked to call Detective Gary Toms at 317-327-3475 or send an e-mail to Gary.Toms@indy.gov.
