FISHERS — Court documents released regarding a manhunt in Fishers that ended with a K-9 officer losing his life and the arrest of two suspects shed a bit of light on what happened that morning.
Richard Garrett Jr., 19, is facing more than a dozen charges after he failed to pull over during a traffic stop and then led police on a chase. He's also accused of shooting and killing Fishers Police Dept. K-9 officer Harlej.
Court documents filed Thursday against Garrett say the initial pursuit began after someone reported seeing a vehicle matching the one Garrett was driving going approximately 100 miles per hour on I-69. Officers located the described vehicle on the shoulder around the 205 mile marker and attempted a stop. The vehicle was later determined to be stolen out of Marion County earlier in the week.
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When the officer pulled up behind the vehicle with his lights flashing, the driver, later identified as Garrett, pulled off driving northbound on I-69 at a high rate of speed. The pursuing officer noted that Garrett had made several lane changes without signaling and was driving erratically, according to court documents.
The officers determined that continuing the pursuit at the high speeds was dangerous and attempted a PIT maneuver to stop the speeding vehicle, according to the court documents. The maneuver was performed south of the roundabout at Southeastern Parkway and Olio Road and the vehicle spun out and off the roadway.
Garrett then jumped out of the vehicle and took off running. That's when Officer Koopman, K-9 Harlej and two other officers went into the field to pursue him. The second suspect, Rashaana Farrow was apprehended at the vehicle.
During the pursuit, officers heard a single gunshot, according to the court documents, and no officers discharged their weapons.
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After the gunshot, Officer Koopman could not get K-9 Harlej to return. Harlej was later found dead in the woods. According to court documents, a veterinarian pronounced Harlej dead and said he suffered a single gunshot wound to the head.
Following an extensive search of the area, officers received information that someone was attemping to break into multiple residences nearby. They later located Garrett and he was taken into custody. Garrett suffered a dog bite wound on his left leg and he was treated prior to being taken to the jail.
While being transported, officers noted that Garrett made "the sound of a 'shotgun being racked followed by boom several times" before saying "f*** that dog" multiple times.
A gun was later located about 75 yards from the location where Garrett first ran.
He's currently facing charges for striking a law enforcement animal, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, resisting law enforcement, theft, residential entry, posession of marijuana, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and posession of a handgun without a license.
Farrow is facing charges for existing warrants and a new charge of false informing.
