Advisory
INDIANAPOLIS — On April 25, 2022, at approximately 3:20 a.m., Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) North District officers responded to a disturbance inside a residence at 3720 Marrison Place.
When officers arrived, they came into contact with an adult male and his parents inside the home. The father informed the officers that the male was “having a psychosis” and requested an ambulance. Officers immediately requested an ambulance. The man was moving around the home, naked and sweating. Officers observed the male was bleeding from the mouth. Officers began to communicate with the male to prepare him for transportation by ambulance. The male was approximately 6’2” and 280 pounds.
The man moved to areas of the home where officers lost sight of him several times. After more than 10 minutes of officers negotiating and using de-escalation tactics, the man moved quickly towards an officer. The officer deployed his electronic control device, more commonly known as a taser, striking the man in the chest with at least one of the two prongs. After the taser trigger is pulled, it is automatically activated for five seconds. The officer activated the taser twice. The man continued to resist after the deployment of the taser.
Due to the man’s size, officers placed him in two pair of linked handcuffs, which typically provides more comfort to larger individuals.
Once the man was detained, medics, who had been waiting outside for the scene to be safe to enter, were requested to come inside home. At that point, medics asked the man to roll over and he did not respond. After medics checked for a pulse, the male was unhandcuffed, and medics and several officers administered CPR.
Medics transported the man to a local hospital, where medical professionals pronounced him deceased shortly after arrival.
The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team responded to the scene to conduct the criminal investigation. A separate administrative investigation is being conducted by IMPD Internal Affairs. The Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency is assisting with this investigation.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) is being consulted throughout the investigation.
The officers who were directly involved have been placed on administrative leave as is standard procedure in this type of investigation.
Multiple officers were wearing body-worn cameras, which were activated during this incident.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office responded and is investigating the nature and cause of death. The MCCO will provide the identity of the deceased after proper identification and next-of-kin notification.
The Chaplain’s Office and Victim’s Assistance responded to assist those involved in this incident.
The Police Officer Support Team (POST) responded to provide peer support for officers.
The civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will conduct a review of the officers' use of force. This occurs after the conclusion of the criminal and administrative investigations are complete.
#IP220038784#
UPDATE #1 - IMPD Releases Details Regarding An In-Custody Death
UPDATE #1
The following is an update to previously released information and remains preliminary and is subject to change. The criminal and administrative investigations are ongoing.
- In the initial media release, preliminary information indicated one of the electronic control device (Taser) probes impacted Mr. Whitfield III’s chest. The autopsy has since been completed by the Marion County Coroner’s Office (MCCO). Preliminary autopsy results and further review of the body-worn camera video indicate that one probe impacted the left side of Mr. Whitfield III’s abdomen. There is no evidence any probe impacted his chest.
- Data from the Taser has been downloaded and will be used as part of the investigations.
- IMPD leadership has been in contact with the Indiana State Police, the FBI, and the United States Attorney’s Office. These partners stand ready to assist the IMPD in this investigation.
- The criminal investigation will include the MCCO and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. The administrative investigation will include Internal Affairs and Use of Force Board.
- The officers involved in this incident will remain on administrative leave until they have completed their officer wellness assessments and until a preliminary review of the investigations by the chief and executive staff.
- The officers involved have been identified as:
| Officer | Rank | Appointment Date | Seniority (years) |
| Steven Sanchez | Patrol Officer | 12/16/2019 | 2.4 |
| Adam Ahmad | Patrol Officer | 10/21/2019 | 2.5 |
| Matthew Virt | Patrol Officer | 07/01/2019 | 2.8 |
| Dominique Clark | Patrol Officer (FTO) | 06/06/2016 | 5.9 |
| Jordan Bull | Patrol Officer (FTO) | 06/10/2014 | 7.9 |
| Nicholas Mathew | Recruit Trainee | 08/09/2021 | .7 |
- IMPD will release a critical incident video with body-camera video in the coming weeks.
- At the conclusion of the criminal investigation, the civilian majority Use of Force Review Board will review the investigations and make a recommendation to the chief of police on whether the officer’s actions were in compliance with department policies and training.
INDIANAPOLIS — On April 25, 2022, at approximately 3:20 a.m., Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) North District officers responded to a disturbance inside a residence at 3720 Marrison Place.
When officers arrived, they came into contact with an adult male and his parents inside the home. The father informed the officers that the male was “having a psychosis” and requested an ambulance. Officers immediately requested an ambulance. The man was moving around the home, naked and sweating. Officers observed the male was bleeding from the mouth. Officers began to communicate with the male to prepare him for transportation by ambulance. The male was approximately 6’2” and 280 pounds.
The man moved to areas of the home where officers lost sight of him several times. After more than 10 minutes of officers negotiating and using de-escalation tactics, the man moved quickly towards an officer. The officer deployed his electronic control device, more commonly known as a taser, striking the man in the chest with at least one of the two prongs. After the taser trigger is pulled, it is automatically activated for five seconds. The officer activated the taser twice. The man continued to resist after the deployment of the taser.
Due to the man’s size, officers placed him in two pair of linked handcuffs, which typically provides more comfort to larger individuals.
Once the man was detained, medics, who had been waiting outside for the scene to be safe to enter, were requested to come inside home. At that point, medics asked the man to roll over and he did not respond. After medics checked for a pulse, the male was unhandcuffed, and medics and several officers administered CPR.
Medics transported the man to a local hospital, where medical professionals pronounced him deceased shortly after arrival.
The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team responded to the scene to conduct the criminal investigation. A separate administrative investigation is being conducted by IMPD Internal Affairs. The Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency is assisting with this investigation.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) is being consulted throughout the investigation.
The officers who were directly involved have been placed on administrative leave as is standard procedure in this type of investigation.
Multiple officers were wearing body-worn cameras, which were activated during this incident.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office responded and is investigating the nature and cause of death. The MCCO will provide the identity of the deceased after proper identification and next-of-kin notification.
The Chaplain’s Office and Victim’s Assistance responded to assist those involved in this incident.
The Police Officer Support Team (POST) responded to provide peer support for officers.
The civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will conduct a review of the officers' use of force. This occurs after the conclusion of the criminal and administrative investigations are complete.
#IP220038784#
Address/Location
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
50 N Alabama St
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 317-327-3811
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