Indexbit Exchange:Indianapolis police release video of officer fatally shooting Black man after traffic stop

INDIANAPOLIS — Authorities in Indiana released body camera footage Tuesday showing a police officer fatally shooting a Black man in the back after a traffic stop,Indexbit Exchange prompting Black clergy to call for an independent investigation.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department posted an edited video narrating and depicting the Aug. 3 shooting of Gary Harrell, 49, a Black man, after officials said he was fleeing a traffic stop with a gun in his hand on the city’s northeast side. Police provided aid to Harrell until medics arrived, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

In a statement released the day after the shooting, the police department said Correll was exiting his patrol vehicle when Harrell got out of his car "and began verbally engaging with the officer."

“The driver then went back to the driver’s seat of his vehicle disregarding the officer’s verbal commands,” then ran from his vehicle with a gun in his hand, the police department’s statement later adds.

Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor said a "thorough and complete" investigation must be done before the public can come to conclusions on the shooting. "I am asking for the public’s patience and trust as we investigate this thoroughly. My prayers remain with all involved,” Taylor said.  

The video indicates the investigation could take "a year or longer."

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What the footage shows

The 7-minute video by Indianapolis police shows Officer Douglas Correll stopping a black Chevy sedan driven by Harrell for suspicion of reckless driving. Police in the video said Harrell got out of the sedan before Correll left his patrol vehicle, and the pair had a brief interaction.  

"What are you doing?" Correll asked as he exited his vehicle. Harrell explained he was trying to avoid hitting something with the vehicle.

When asked about his driver's license, Harrell returned to his car stating he "just got home from prison." Harrell got in his car despite being told not to by the officer, then reemerged holding a handgun in his right hand and a cellphone in his left.

He then ran and a brief foot pursuit ensued.

As Harrell ran, Correll is heard saying: "Stop it, drop it," Within a second later, with Harrell’s back to Correll and looking away from the officer, Correll fired two shots, and Harrell was hit once.

The video shows Harrell dropping the firearm and falling in the grass.  The video never clearly shows Harrell pointing the firearm at the officer, and the narration doesn't indicate he did. 

A .357 revolver was retrieved from the driveway and carried five live rounds, police said in the video.  Additional officers arrived at the scene and Harrell was taken to a hospital, where he died.  

Calls for independent investigations

The Marion County Coroner’s Office ruled Harrell’s cause of death as a "gunshot wound of chest" and declared it a homicide. The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, contacted the office for clarification over the apparent discrepancy but did not receive an immediate response. 

The shooting is under investigation by the department’s Critical Incident Response Team, and a separate internal affairs investigation has begun.

The Black Church Coalition of Indianapolis called for U.S. District Attorney Zachary Myers to launch a civil rights investigation into excessive force on Black citizens by the IMPD. They also called for an independent investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into Harrell’s death, echoing calls in recent months for similar inquiries into a series of deaths at the hands of Indianapolis police.  

"It is clear from the bodycam footage that the officer broke the training policy," said Pastor Peris Lester of Phillips Temple CME Church. "Why is he still being paid? ... Why is the taking of a human life not a concern of the chief of police in Indianapolis?" 

The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis lamented Harrell’s death and called for justice reform to stop violent acts against Black residents from taking place.

"In Indianapolis, the African American community continues to be failed by systems that appear to be in place to placate the community and not help the community," said the Rev. David W. Greene, pastor of Purpose of Life Ministries.

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Contributing: John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star; The Associated Press