Gary Harrell
On August 3, 2023, Gary Harrell, a 49-year-old black man, was shot and killed by a police officer in Indianapolis, USA, after stopping his car for an identification inspection.
According to police, the officer stopped the driver on suspicion of reckless driving, at which point the driver ran out of the car and began to flee from police. Officer Cornell shot Gary in the back, who later died at a hospital, and a gun was found near where he was shot. Harrell’s family hired national civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
The family’s lawyer argues that Gary did not assault the officer or point a weapon at him. The officer gave one command: “Stop!” Drop it!” – but didn’t give Gary time to comply before shooting him. According to an lawyer for the killed man’s family, this unjustified shooting violated the U.S. Constitution and law enforcement’s use of force policy, revised in 2020. This is not the first time Indianapolis police officers have been accused of using excessive force against black citizens. The shooting is being investigated by the department’s Critical Incident Response Group.
The Indianapolis Black Church Coalition called on US District Attorney Zachary Myers to launch a civil rights investigation into excessive use of force against black citizens by police. They also called on the US Department of Justice to conduct an independent investigation into Harrell’s death.
The officer who shot Harrell has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in all officer-involved shooting investigations.
MASS MEDIA ABOUT THE CASE:
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department posted an edited video that describes and shows how Gary Harrell, 49, a black man, was shot and killed Aug. 3 after officials say he fled the scene of a traffic stop with a gun in his hand.
CASE STATUS:
The Initiative Group has asked US President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland for clarification on the current case. The Initiative Group considers it important to fight police brutality and can provide legal and informational assistance to Gary Harrell’s family if necessary.
