IMPD Chief Tanya Terry says footage of a car striking an officer and a security guard in downtown Indianapolis left her “angry and deeply disturbed”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/police-car-generic-tout-2-102623-e6d3ad2d93554ccea05f739a69acbd79.jpg "Stock photo of the roof of a police patrol car at night, with the blue and red lights flashing.")
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NEED TO KNOW
- Indianapolis police say a driver allegedly struck a security guard and an officer before fleeing in downtown Indianapolis
- The suspected driver, 28-year-old Derrick Bryant, was arrested shortly after the incident and faces multiple preliminary charges
- Police Chief Tanya Terry called the behavior “reckless and violent” and said the video left her “angry and deeply disturbed”
A video circulating online has sparked outrage in Indianapolis after it appeared to show a vehicle striking a security guard and a police officer before speeding away.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Tanya Terry addressed the incident in a statement shared on the department’s Facebook page, saying the footage left her “angry and deeply disturbed.”
According to the police chief, the video captured a chaotic scene in downtown Indianapolis on March 7. The footage showed a vehicle fleeing the area after hitting a security guard who had been working in the busy nightlife district. “The footage shows a vehicle recklessly fleeing after striking a security guard,” Terry wrote in her statement. “Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed that an IMPD officer was also hit by the same vehicle.”
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Despite the alarming moment captured on camera, officials say the officer is expected to recover. Terry said the officer did not suffer significant injuries during the incident. “Thankfully, the officer did not suffer significant injuries, and he is expected to recover,” she wrote. “We are also grateful no one else was seriously injured during this dangerous behavior.”
Terry also expressed concern about what she described as a troubling reaction from some people who were present when the incident unfolded.
“What is most disappointing is that many people continued recording on their phones and going about their night after watching those working to keep the area safe get injured,” she said. “I am thankful for the few individuals who stepped forward to help.”
Police say the driver was taken into custody shortly after the incident with assistance from an off-duty member of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Terry, the suspected driver was identified as 28-year-old Derrick Bryant. He was preliminarily charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident causing injury and resisting law enforcement.
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Terry also addressed speculation circulating online about the circumstances surrounding the incident. She clarified that it was not related to a street takeover or multiple vehicles. “This was one driver who chose to drive while intoxicated and endanger the entire community,” she wrote.
In her statement, Terry emphasized that officers and security personnel should never be treated as targets while performing their duties.
“No one who wears a badge or stands guard to protect this community should ever be treated as a target or a spectacle,” she said. “This kind of reckless and violent behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”