Indianapolis Police Shoot Homeowner, Not the Actual Robbery Suspect

An Indianapolis man attempting to protect his wife during a robbery at their home was shot by police on Tuesday as the real suspect fled.

At around 4:30 AM police were called to the home of a man who said that someone had held his wife at gunpoint and stolen her car keys as she arrived home from work. The call was disconnected after he explained what happened, and emergency dispatchers, attempting to call him back, were unsuccessful. He never notified police that he, along with the suspect, was armed.

The thief attempted to steal the vehicle, but fled on foot when it would not start.

When police arrived, the man opened his garage door and came out holding his weapon. An officer who has not been identified opened fire. The armed homeowner was shot “at least once” in the midsection and was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

It is not yet known if the officer spoke with the homeowner before firing, or if the latter’s gun was pointed in the officer’s direction.

— Vic Ryckaert (@VicRyc) August 23, 2016

“Our prayers and thoughts are with him and the rest of the family,” Randal Taylor, the assistant chief of investigations for Indianapolis police told the Indy Channel. “Just an unfortunate occurrence.”

A reporter for the Indy Star, Vic Ryckaert, live-tweeted his conversation with a neighbor, who was concerned about the police shooting.

— Vic Ryckaert (@VicRyc) August 23, 2016

"I think that's really crazy. What do we have, trigger-happy police officers out here now?" neighbor Angela Parrott told Ryckaert.

— Vic Ryckaert (@VicRyc) August 23, 2016

The robbery suspect remains at large.

— Vic Ryckaert (@VicRyc) August 23, 2016

A grand jury will review the police shooting, representatives with the Fraternal Order of Police and Internal Affairs will be involved in the investigation.