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One year later off-duty IMPD officer terminated for killing pedestrian

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department terminated an off-duty officer who hit and killed a pedestrian on Sept. 24, 2015.

According to IMPD Chief Riggs, Bernardo Zavalza was terminated on Monday, Sept. 12.

Zavalza struck and killed 53-year-old Ronny Bowling in the area of Southport Road, between Interstate 65 and Emerson Avenue just before 12 a.m.

After a toxicology screening, the investigation revealed Zavalza’s BAC was .029 and there was no evidence of other intoxicants.

A crash reconstruction showed that Zavalza was driving 46 miles per hour in a 40 miles per hour zone. The reconstruction also showed that Bowling was a pedestrian in the street around 11:50 p.m., which was reported by a separate 911 call.

According to officials, Zavalza was driving a marked IMPD squad car at the time of the incident. He was already rendering aid to the pedestrian when they arrived, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.