Shooting on SW side of Indy

[jsharmon7]

https://fox59.com/2018/12/31/man-shot-killed-on-near-southwest-side/

According to the shooter’s social media, he reported the truck stolen on 12/29/2018. It would appear he found someone in the truck yesterday and ended up killing the guy. He has been arrested for murder. Without knowing any more than that, I sure hope the shooter didn’t think he was justified in shooting the guy over a stolen truck. I hope some additional info is released...

 

[KellyinAvon]

https://fox59.com/2018/12/31/man-shot-killed-on-near-southwest-side/

According to the shooterÂ’s social media, he reported the truck stolen on 12/29/2018. It would appear he found someone in the truck yesterday and ended up killing the guy. He has been arrested for murder. Without knowing any more than that, I sure hope the shooter didnÂ’t think he was justified in shooting the guy over a stolen truck. I hope some additional info is released...

I really wondered about this too. It sounds like the guy who owned the truck found it, occupied. Man, call in the cavalry and keep an eye on it from a safe distance until the cavalry rides over the hill. Considering the guy in the truck is dead, there must've been no "Officer, I was in fear for my life" situation. Had a weapon or the vehicle was moving towards the shooter? I don't see a murder charge. Time to wait I and see...

 

[Brad69]

I would bet that they know each other and it’s not just the truck that lead to the killing.
My prediction is the “beef” that lead to the outburst of anger was something ongoing?

 

[bwframe]

Do police even follow up on stolen vehicle calls anymore?

 

[jsharmon7]

Do police even follow up on stolen vehicle calls anymore?

Honestly, there’s not a lot we can do. Once it turns up we can try to dust for prints. Even if we have a suspect it becomes difficult to prove the driver stole the car or was aware it was stolen once it’s gone past a few days. It happens, but it’s tough.

 

[CHCRandy]

This shooting happened at the exact corner where I tried recovering a vehicle that was stolen from me a few months ago. I could have easily been this guy had a few of you not talked me off the ledge and common sense taken over. It is bad when they steal your vehicle, but then they drive it around and taunt you knowing law won't touch them unless they get pulled over, then they just run! Makes you mad enough to just kill the sob's, and this guy allegedly did! I was hoping the guy shot was Erik Wilburn, the bastage who stole my vehicle....he lives right there.

 

[CHCRandy]

Do police even follow up on stolen vehicle calls anymore?

My experience is no, even when you know who stole it. My case I gave them all the information but theft happened in Hendricks County and car was being seen in Marion County, the thief changed plates. Last known address is vacant. He is still driving my car around, my oldest daughter seen it the other day on Southside with same scumbag driving it. He will eventually get it, one way or the other. He has a court date in Putnam County for auto theft and I will be there. If he shows, he has to face law call if he pulls in driving my car he stole. If he no shows he gets a warrant.

 

[Brad69]

In this case it was a “tow truck” so I would think this is business related? The guy that shot him owns a towing company.
My prediction is the guy worked for him and did not return the tow truck and owner killed him.
The dude that’s dead had a nice history of theft of car parts and such.

I am glad you didn’t shoot the car stealer CHCRandy you displayed restraint.
Plus your not in jail!

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

My experience is no, even when you know who stole it. My case I gave them all the information but theft happened in Hendricks County and car was being seen in Marion County, the thief changed plates. Last known address is vacant. He is still driving my car around, my oldest daughter seen it the other day on Southside with same scumbag driving it. He will eventually get it, one way or the other. He has a court date in Putnam County for auto theft and I will be there. If he shows, he has to face law call if he pulls in in my car. If he no shows he gets a warrant.

So have you seen your car out rolling? Or you just heard it is out rolling?

 

[CHCRandy]

So have you seen your car out rolling? Or you just heard it is out rolling?

I have seen it with the dirtbag who I knew stole it, still driving it. I was able to find location because when he stole car he also stole a purse in the car which had a debit card...he used the debit card in Indianapolis at Marathon at Morris and Harding. So I went to the station to see if they would show me video of who used card and him getting in car. I pulled in and low and behold there the bastage was in my car. I chased him and called 911. Ended up losing him at Hiatt and Miller St. IMPD showed up and chased him to Arbor Avenue where he lost them.

Then 3 days later my oldest daughter saw him around 465 and 37. The last time he was seen in it was last week....down at the BP at 37 and Southport Road, again by my oldest daughter (she works on that side of town). He headed East on Southport when he seen her chasing him.

We have not been able to get a complete plate number, but we do know he has the wrong plates on the car. This dirtbag has been busted about 5-6 times for stealing cars. Insurance actually owns it now, they paid me for it. Danville Police sent it to the prosecutor's office but that was last I heard about it. Like I said, he has a court date and I plan to be waiting to see if he is dumb enough to show up in my stolen car!

I wish it had been a bright yellow car instead of a white Ford Focus....in the days I spent trying to find him I must have seen 10,000 white Ford Focuses in that area. Never realized how many white cars there is until then.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I have seen it with the dirtbag who I knew stole it, still driving it. I was able to find location because when he stole car he also stole a purse in the car which had a debit card...he used the debit card in Indianapolis at Marathon at Morris and Harding. So I went to the station to see if they would show me video of who used card and him getting in car. I pulled in and low and behold there the bastage was in my car. I chased him and called 911. Ended up losing him at Hiatt and Miller St. IMPD showed up and chased him to Arbor Avenue where he lost them.

Then 3 days later my oldest daughter saw him around 465 and 37. The last time he was seen in it was last week....down at the BP at 37 and Southport Road, again by my oldest daughter (she works on that side of town). He headed East on Southport when he seen her chasing him.

We have not been able to get a complete plate number, but we do know he has the wrong plates on the car. This dirtbag has been busted about 5-6 times for stealing cars. Insurance actually owns it now, they paid me for it. Danville Police sent it to the prosecutor's office but that was last I heard about it. Like I said, he has a court date and I plan to be waiting to see if he is dumb enough to show up in my stolen car!

I wish it had been a bright yellow car instead of a white Ford Focus....in the days I spent trying to find him I must have seen 10,000 white Ford Focuses in that area. Never realized how many white cars there is until then.

So now you understand how police work is and you shouldn't automatically assume no one is looking for it.

 

[CHCRandy]

So now you understand how police work is and you shouldn't automatically assume no one is looking for it.

Yes sir. I didn't mean that in a bad way and apologize if it sounded like I was slamming the law like they don't care. I am just a realist and reality is the car is gone unless someone just gets lucky. It was like the IMPD officer who met me said, they have many stolen cars every single day. I can't blame them for not exactly putting it at top priority with all the serious crimes that happen. I mean the thug changed the plates, if he was smart enough to use stolen plates from a white Ford Focus and them plates are not reported stolen....what are the chances of him getting caught by the law? That's just the facts. Unless he gets pulled over and waits for PD to run vin, he will never be caught. If he sees cops, he'll run or whatever it takes to get away. I think he hangs out on Oliver Ave., south side of street between Arbor and Division, house faces Oliver with alley out back, but I have never seen the stolen car at that house the few times I checked it out. His luck will run out someday.....

Stay safe my friend and thanks for all you do!

 

[CHCRandy]

In this case it was a “tow truck” so I would think this is business related? The guy that shot him owns a towing company.
My prediction is the guy worked for him and did not return the tow truck and owner killed him.
The dude that’s dead had a nice history of theft of car parts and such.

I am glad you didn’t shoot the car stealer CHCRandy you displayed restraint.
Plus your not in jail!

Me as well. A guy gets angry when you work to provide and someone takes it from you, you really wanna just shoot off their hands and make em pick their nose with their elbow. But you have to dig deep and not lower yourself to their level. Last thing I would want is to be in jail because one of them scumbags provoked me.

 

[bwframe]

How did this thief lose you, the cops and your daughter in a Focus? Is it one of the high performance ones?

 

[CHCRandy]

How did this thief lose you, the cops and your daughter in a Focus? Is it one of the high performance ones?

He knows the area a lot better than us. He knows all the alleys, houses and garages and was driving it like he stole it. I guess technically I could have shot him at the gas station...since he tried hitting me as he was getting out of the parking lot. I had left my vehicle to confront him and remove him from the car. Who's to say I wasn't in fear of my life? I am a country boy and had he been in my backyard, I would have got him, he will slip up someday. Them streets are so tight I just didn't see the good in jeopardizing pedestrians(mostly kids on sidewalks), destroying the car I was in to catch him and possibly getting myself in bad trouble. Give em enough rope and they'll eventually hang themselves.

It gets a little complicated how he lost the cops, but in a nutshell, he used a diversion to slip by them. He had a person call dispatch and us and say they were his mother (think it was his Aunt or Sister). They informed dispatch that the car in chase was left in an alley on Arbor Street.....so we all rush to Arbor St, about 6-8 squad cars, fire engine, ambulance and they start searching Arbor St. Cops told me after not finding anything that they think he was still in the previous area we were searching and he used Arbor St. call to get us away from Hiatt and Miller....so he could flee. I still wish I had stayed at Hiatt when everyone else rushed to Arbor.....I am pretty sure he was hid in a garage in alley behind Hiatt St.

 

[jsharmon7]

Fox59 is reporting some additional details. Shooter was driving around looking for the truck, and confronted the deceased when they found it. Shooter told police he thought deceased was going to shoot him, so he started firing into the cab of the truck. Witnesses are saying the deceased had his hands up the entire time, but we know how that goes.

 

[CHCRandy]

Fox59 is reporting some additional details. Shooter was driving around looking for the truck, and confronted the deceased when they found it. Shooter told police he thought deceased was going to shoot him, so he started firing into the cab of the truck. Witnesses are saying the deceased had his hands up the entire time, but we know how that goes.

Them same witnesses were probably part of the problem in the first place. The shooter probably was in fear of his life....don't the State have to prove to a jury he wasn't in fear? Good luck with that.

 

[Alamo]

....don't the State have to prove to a jury he wasn't in fear? Good luck with that.

No, I don't believe they do. They just have to prove the shooter intended to shoot the shootee. That's generally illegal. Self-defense is usually an affirmative defense that the defendant has to prove (and in doing so the defendant admits he shot the other person on purpose). At least in some jurisdictions the judge may not allow the defendant to argue self-defense at trial if there is evidence to the contrary.

ETA: No I don't believe they do initially. The defendant has to show the all the elements of self-defense, and THEN the prosecution has to negate one or more of those elements.

oh, and the jury has to believe you instead of the prosecutor.