BEECH GROVE – At the request of the Beech Grove Police Chief, per their standard protocol, the Indiana State Police has been asked to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The incident happened outside of an apartment building near the intersection of Thompson Road and 9th Avenue.
The information that follows is preliminary, the investigations is ongoing at this time.
Just after 6:00 a.m. Beech Grove police officers responded to a request for a welfare check at the Willow Glen South Apartment Complex.
Information was received by dispatchers about a child custody dispute and threats of violence. When officers arrived, they encountered a male subject armed with a knife in the parking lot, who they believed was the target of their call.
As the man aggressively approached the officers, they attempted several de-escalation techniques, including backing away for a significant distance while trying to communicate with the man. The man ignored officers’ requests to drop the knife and stop walking toward them.
There were three officers on the scene.
During the encounter, the officers were physically engaged by the man who used the knife to cut Lieutenant Jeff Bruner, a 19-year veteran, with the force.
Lt. Bruner sustained a laceration to the face during the encounter. Bruner then shot the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Joshua Richard of Noblesville. The other officers involved were not injured.
Officers immediately retrieved emergency life-saving tools from their vehicles, commonly called IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit). The officers attempted life-saving aid on Richard until it was determined he was deceased.
Paramedics arrived and confirmed Richard was deceased.
Lt. Bruner was rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
Indiana State Police Detectives and crime scene investigators responded to the scene to investigate. Investigators are reviewing body camera footage captured by all three officers involved.
The investigation into the circumstances of the shooting is ongoing, and there is no further information to release at this time.
The family of the deceased man has been notified, and his identity will be released later in coordination with the Marion County Coroner’s Office.
