IMPD officers fatally shoot woman ‘who reached for her weapon’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis police fatally shot a woman “who reached for her weapon” as officers approached a home’s porch to talk to her Friday afternoon on the city’s near-northwest side.
Around 1:30 p.m., officers attempted a traffic stop in the 3800 block of 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 description of the suspect’s vehicle parked in front of a residence 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 the scene when they noticed a woman standing on the front porch of the residence.
The officers approached the woman, later identified as Jessie Leonard, 36, and she exposed a firearm on her waist.
The woman failed to comply with officers’ orders and pulled out her firearm, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says.
Four officers fired their weapons at the woman.
Medics arrived on scene a short time later, and the woman was pronounced dead.
No officers were hurt, IMPD said in a tweet.
IMPD could not immediately confirm if the home where the woman was shot is hers.
All officers that responded wore body cameras that were recording.
IMPD internal affairs is conducting an administrative investigation. All four officers will be on administrative leave until all investigations are completed.
Cook said police were not expected to provide additional updates about the shooting on Friday night.
