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Family of Aaron Bailey sues Indianapolis, IMPD, officers involved in shooting

Posted at 1:09 PM, Sep 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-22 09:01:12-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- The family of Aaron Bailey is suing the City of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the two officers who fatally shot him in June. 

Bailey was shot and killed on June 29 just before 2 a.m., after police pulled him over for a traffic violation near the intersection of Burdsal Parkway and Riverside Drive. After initially stopping for police, Bailey sped from the scene and crashed into a tree near the intersection of 23rd and Aqueduct streets. 

After the crash, two IMPD officers, Carlton Howard and Michal Dinnsen, fired "multiple rounds" at the vehicle, hitting Bailey. He was taken to a hospital where he died.

In August, Bailey's family released new information about the shooting, saying Bailey was shot four times, according to the autopsy report. In the same month, a special prosecutor was assigned to oversee the case.

In the lawsuit filed by attorney Craig R. Karpe, the family claims the two officers fired at Bailey's stopped vehicle "without prior verbal command or warning."

The lawsuit also claims that Bailey never tried to exit his vehicle, face the officers or threaten them after he crashed his car.

No weapon was found in Bailey's vehicle. It remains IMPD's only fatal officer-involved shooting of 2017.

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The family is suing the city on the claim that a "culture of indifference" has permeated the department. The lawsuit claims IMPD and Indianapolis failed to train its officers on the use of force and implicit bias. The lawsuit also charges the city with failing to hold its officers accountable for not using body cameras.

The family is requesting repayment for medical expenses, burial fees, attorney fees and loss of love and companionship. The lawsuit requests a jury trial.

“Special prosecutor Cotter has kept us informed on the progress of his investigation, but we’ve received nothing yet about the evidence collected or his findings," said the family's attorney Craig Karpe. "The materials we’ve gathered to date show no legal reason or justification for the shooting of Aaron Bailey.  The complaint marks the next stage in our effort to discover the truth about this tragic event.  The Bailey family remains resolved to get justice for their dead brother."

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