Indianapolis police released body camera footage Tuesday showing an officer fatally shooting a fleeing armed man in the back after a traffic stop.
Indianapolis police released body camera footage Tuesday showing an officer fatally shooting a fleeing armed man in the back after a traffic stop, prompting Black clergy to call for the policeman’s termination.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department posted an edited video narrating and depicting the Aug. 3 shooting of 49-year-old Gary Harrell, a Black man, after officials said he was fleeing a traffic stop with a gun in his hand.
The Black Church Coalition expressed outrage over the footage in a statement and said it shows what they suspected: that Harrell was shot with his back turned.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office ruled Harrell’s cause of death as a "gunshot wound of chest" and declared it a homicide. IndyStar has contacted the office for clarification over the apparent discrepancy but had not received a response at time of publication.
“It is clear from the bodycam footage that the officer broke the training policy,” said Pastor Peris Lester of Phillips Temple CME Church. “Why is he still being paid? ... Why is the taking of a human life not a concern of the chief of police in Indianapolis?”
The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis lamented Harrell’s death and called for justice reform to stop violent acts against Black residents form taking place.
"In Indianapolis, the African American community continues to be failed by systems that appear to be in place to placate the community and not help the community," said the Rev. David W. Greene, pastor of Purpose of Life Ministries.
In a statement, Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor said a "thorough and complete" investigation must be done before the public can come to conclusions on the shooting.
"I am asking for the public’s patience and trust as we investigate this thoroughly. My prayers remain with all involved,” Taylor said.
The video indicates the investigation could take "a year or longer."
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