Police: Shooting of Teen Suspect "Tragic"

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis police fatally shot a 15-year-old who officers say evaded a traffic stop and accelerated toward them in a car that matched the description of one that had been reported carjacked, authorities said Monday.

During a press conference Monday afternoon, police officials called the shooting "tragic," and said that the teen was "on a negative trajectory."

"We have some youth in need of care," said Assistant Chief Lloyd Crowe. "He set about on a course of action making some very bad decisions, and no one intervened.”

Police said officers tried to pull the car over late Sunday, but the driver -- identified by the Marion County coroner's office as 15-year-old Andre Green -- approached a cul-de-sac and tried to make a U-turn, striking the side of the police car. Some passengers ran from the car, authorities said, but the driver refused officers' commands to get out of the car.

Officers fired on the driver when he accelerated toward them, authorities said, and the driver then got out of the car, holding a gun, and collapsed. 

Crowe said that a handgun was found at the scene, but declined to answer questions about exactly where it was found or whether Green had pointed the gun at officers.

Green's sister, Tericka Jackson, told WISH-TV that her brother was "a good person" and that he was attending a local high school.

"He would just be there to brighten up your day," she said.

Another relative urged the others who were in the car to provide information about the shooting.

"We don't know who else was in the car with him, but we're asking you, could you please come forward?" Malonda Lamb, who said she is Green's cousin, told WISH-TV. "Because you saw. You saw something. You saw them shoot him, you saw them chase him, you saw something. Please come forward."

Indianapolis police said officers noticed the car about 11:10 p.m. Sunday that matched the description of a 2013 Nissan Altima that had been carjacked. Riddle said the three officers at the scene of the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, and the internal affairs unit will investigate.

"We can say with confidence that officers were faced with aggression and they met that aggression head-on," said IMPD Officer Chris Wilburn.

During the Monday afternoon press conference, Crowe said that none of the three officers were wearing body cameras, and that there is no dashcam video of the incident He said he wasn't aware of any citizen video of the incident, either.