*A black man in Indiana called the police to report a robbery at his home, only to be shot by a cop who responded to the call.
Carl Williams, who lives in Indianapolis, called the police to report that his wife had been assaulted by a black suspect with a rifle. The responding officer, a nine year veteran on the force, mistook him for the assailant, according to the police account. Williams, who reportedly had his gun on him, was shot in the abdomen on sight.
At press time, Williams was fighting for his life in a hospital. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) has called it a “tragic incident.”
Speaking at a press conference, assistant chief Randal Taylor said: “First and foremost this is a tragic incident, involving a homeowner attempting to protect his family and the IMPD officers trying to do the same thing.
“And of course our thoughts and prayers are certainly with the homeowner and the family, who was mistakenly shot by our officer and we wish him a quick recovery.”
Watch a report of the shooting below from RTV6:
According to the account recorded by IMPD’s dispatchers, Williams 48, called 911 at 4.34 a.m. to report that his wife was assaulted by a “black male in a red shirt armed with a rifle” who had stolen the couple’s black Nissan Sentra.
Williams’s wife could be heard in the background in distress. The call ended after four minutes with Williams saying, “Is that him?” The dispatchers returned the call, only to get his voicemail.
Listen to the 911 call below:
Assistant chief Taylor continued in his press conference: “They made observations based on information known at that time. The time of day, the early morning hours and low-level lighting caused vision to be limited.
“The officers involved were forced to make a split second decision based on the information and totality of the circumstances known at the time.
“The officer involved was a nine-year veteran of the east district late shift. Again this was tragic and unforeseen. I don’t know of any officer who goes out wanting to get into a shootout with anyone, but especially not as in this case a homeowner.”
Folks on social media are weighing in, with many criticizing the police department’s account of the incident.
..and ALOT of what I read about this “accident”, the police seem to be even trying shift the blame. #IndianapolisShooting
— Jon Muru (@JonMuru) August 24, 2016
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