IMPD releases edited video of two police action shootings in October

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department released edited videos on Friday of two police action shootings that occurred in October. 

One video contains edited body-worn camera footage of an incident that occurred Oct. 24 after 35-year-old Darcel Edwards fled a traffic stop. The incident occurred near East 25th Street and Columbia Avenue. 

The video begins with Edwards fleeing a traffic stop and officers following. The video then cuts to IMPD narrating that Edwards had crashed his car and had emerged from a backyard. Video then shows officers searching for Edwards before the video cuts again to narration. IMPD said officers located Edwards in a tree. Officers demanded Edwards come down. Edwards refused and said he has epilepsy and couldn’t get down. He then requested that police call his mother and doctor. 

"I'm coming down, but I feel like I'm going through a seize, man," Edwards said in the video, suggesting that he feels he is going through a seizure. 

"Well, you might not want to do it up there," an officer can be heard saying. 

The video shows Edwards telling officers to shoot him with what he thinks is a taser. Officers told him it is a pistol.  Edwards said “whatever it is.”  Edwards continued to tell officers to shoot him.

“If I hit you with it, I got to have a reason,” an officer said. “Do not give me one.”

Edwards again said he has epilepsy and that he is not threatening the officers.

Officers told Edwards to not reach into his pocket. Edwards said he does not have a weapon and tells officers to end his life.

Two shots can be heard. Edwards later died in the hospital. 

IMPD later identified the officer who shot and killed him as Patrol Officer Gunnar Gossett, a 5-year veteran of the department. 

Another video contains edited body worn camera footage of an incident that occurred Oct. 26 after police were conducting an investigation when they recognized that 37-year-old Frederick Davis was trespassing a hotel on the city’s east side. The incident occurred in the area of East 21st Street and North Shadeland Avenue around 6:00 p.m. 

Footage shows a physical altercation between officers and Davis inside a fastfood restaurant. Davis gained control of an officer's weapon. An officer fired his backup weapon at Davis.

IMPD later identified the officer who fired his weapon as 5-year veteran Nicolas Deem. 

Davis can be seen dropping the weapon and then running out of the restaurant with blood on his shirt before collapsing and being apprehended. He later died in the hospital. 

These incidents are among 18 shootings involving IMPD officers so far this year. 

Contact WFYI health reporter Darian Benson at dbenson@wfyi.org.