BEECH GROVE – A police pursuit led to an officer involved shooting yesterday afternoon on Emerson Avenue just south of Raymond Street involving Beech Grove Police Officers. Beech Grove Police Chief Michael Maurice requested the Indiana State Police to investigate the incident.
The information below is preliminary, this is still an active investigation:
Yesterday afternoon, a Beech Grove police officer received information regarding a stolen vehicle, a maroon Honda, reported in Indianapolis. Around 12:20 p.m., the officer spotted the vehicle at a gas station on East Raymond Street. The officer attempted to stop the car, but the driver fled, striking one of the police vehicles as pursuit ensued.
The pursuit continued on Raymond Street as officers tried to immobilize the vehicle using precision immobilization techniques (PIT), but their efforts were unsuccessful. Roughly four minutes in, the chase ended with successful PIT execution. The Honda finally stopped in the center curbed divider of the four-lane road. The officers maneuvered their cars to block off escape, and were exiting their vehicles to apprehend the suspect when the suspect began to ram back and forth into the police vehicles that the officers were close to.
A Beech Grove officer fired once at the suspect, who was still inside the car. The injury resulting from the bullet was non-life threatening. The officers then continued communications with the suspect, and it was several minutes before the suspect exited the vehicle in accordance with their commands. After leaving the car, the suspect received emergency medical aid from the officers until the arrival of paramedics. Before transporting him to the local hospital for treatment, officers found drug contraband.
The Indiana State Police along with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officers responded to the scene to assist. There were no officers injured in this incident. As part of this investigation, detectives are reviewing body camera footage.
The suspect was identified as 42 year old Gerald Smith of Indianapolis. At the time of this release he is in a local hospital in stable condition.
The Beech Grove Officer who fired his weapon is 23 year veteran Darrin McGuire.
This is an ongoing investigation and the information released at this time is preliminary. All crimes mentioned are alleged and all suspects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.
