Beech Grove, IN – A confrontation stemming from a child custody dispute escalated into a fatal officer-involved shooting early this morning near the intersection of Thompson Road and 9th Avenue.
Indiana State Police are now leading the investigation, following standard procedure at the request of the Beech Grove Police Chief.
At approximately 6:00 AM, officers responded to the Willow Glen South Apartment Complex to perform a welfare check, having been alerted to potential violence involved in a custody issue. They encountered a man armed with a knife in the parking lot, believed to be central to the disturbance. Efforts to de-escalate were unsuccessful as the man aggressively approached the officers, ignoring commands to disarm. The confrontation resulted in one officer sustaining a facial wound from the knife. The escalating threat led another officer to shoot the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The officers involved attempted lifesaving measures using their Individual First Aid Kits (IFAK) until paramedics confirmed the man’s death. The injured officer was promptly taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover. Indiana State Police have secured body camera footage from the incident and are in the process of reviewing the events leading up to the shooting. Further details will be released pending the investigation and an official statement from the Marion County Coroner’s Office.
