Vigil held for man shot, killed by ISP trooper
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Friends and family of the man shot and killed by an Indiana state trooper Friday night gathered Sunday night for a vigil in his memory.
The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. Friday on U.S. 231 near Montgomery County Road 550 North, near North Montgomery High School.
The family of 56-year-old Glenn Rightsell, of Linden, said he was working on his daughter’s car, which had broken down along the side of a rural state road earlier in the day, when he was shot.
State police said a trooper had tagged the abandoned black Chevrolet Tahoe SUV shortly before 4 p.m. Friday on U.S. 231.
That same trooper was driving on the same highway around 6:30 p.m. Friday and noticed a white Dodge car had pulled up in front of the Tahoe and had the hood open.
According to state police, the trooper reportedly walked up to Rightsell while giving commands and Rightsell allegedly grabbed the gun that Rightsell had on his waist.
The trooper shot Rightsell at least once, state police said.
About 100 people gathered at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Crawfordsville for a vigil in Rightsell’s honor.
“Oh my God, I just bawled and bawled and bawled,” said friend Kimberly Vandeventen. “It wasn’t right. It wasn’t right at all.”
The pain was still fresh two days after Rightsell’s death.
“Anybody that knew Glenn knew that what happened is not right,” said friend Mark Talbott.
Many people at the vigil questioned the narrative state police released about the events leading up to a trooper firing his weapon Friday night.
On Saturday, Ken Steen shared cellphone video with News 8 that shows the moments following the shooting.
“I didn’t see that part (the shooting). But I’m concerned how long it took the officers to secure the scene and then the fact that they were allowing traffic to continue to go both northbound and southbound lanes completely uninhibited the entire time,” Steen said.
Steen estimated about 15 minutes passed from the time he heard gunshots to the time police took Rightsell into custody. Steen said he was unsure how long after Rightsell was taken into custody that he was taken to the hospital.
“He just laid out and bled there and died,” Steen said. “I do feel extremely bad for the family. Because, I think regardless of how the incident went down, the guy was savable.”
On Sunday, Rightsell’s family and friends lit candles and sang hymns, trying to come to terms with what happened.
“No way can I see Glenn doing the things this officer said,” said friend Jeff Jirtle. “If he reached for his gun, it’s a bulls*** lie. Glenn would have never done that. His heart was pure. “
Much of the crowd gathered around Glenn’s wife Gigi, hugging her and showing their support.
“Justice will prevail,” said friend JP Shirley. “But more than anything, what prevails was the enduring smile that he had for everyone he came upon. He never met a stranger and he loved all.”
Friends and family hope Rightsell’s memory won’t be forgotten as they search for more clarity on what happened.
“I want justice,” said Vandeventen. “I want justice done. Glenn would never disrespect anybody. He was the nicest guy in the world. He would never disrespect anybody. Ever.”
The case is still under investigation. On Sunday, ISP had not released the name of the trooper involved.