South-side homeowner killed in exchange of gunfire with Indianapolis police

A south-side homeowner was killed early Monday in an exchange of gunfire with Indianapolis police.

This is the first fatal shooting by IMPD officers in 2018.

According to officials from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the incident happened around 1 a.m. at a home in the 6200 block of Monteo Drive, near Edgewood Avenue and Harding Street.

Officers were responding to a  incomplete 911 call in the area and determined which home the call came from. Police said as the officers approached the home, the homeowner began shooting at the officers. 

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Police returned fire, striking the adult male, officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

He was later identified as 65-year-old Daniel Cedars, according to the Marion County coroner's office.

IMPD Officer Genae Cook said the gunshots were coming from either inside the home or the front porch. No one else was hurt in the shooting.

Details about what was happening inside the home before police arrived are not immediately available, but police said that there were multiple people inside the home at the time of the shooting. 

As is standard procedure, the shooting remains under investigation by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, Internal Affairs and IMPD's Critical Incident Response Team.

This marks the fourth officer involved shooting of 2018, and all four of them have happened in the past five weeks.

IMPD recorded a total of 20 officer involved shootings in 2014, and other 20 in 2015. Sixteen shootings were reported in 2016 and 8 were reported in 2017.

IMPD Chief Bryan Roach spoke to reporters about the racent spike in officer involved shootings last week and expressed disappointment, but said that officers could not avoid firing in those situations. 

“We hadn’t had a police action shooting all year. And within a month, we had three,” Roach said.  “I don’t know how you avoid those ... those incidents are part of the job.”

Roach added that he didn’t see any pattern among the police shootings. Each circumstance was unique.

“This stuff comes in waves, unfortunately, at least in my career,” he said.

Here are the other officer-involved shootings investigated by IMPD so far in 2018:

Oct. 18 - Truville Christian was shot after a struggle over a weapon between Christian and multiple officers in the 9900 block of East 16th Street, near Mitthoeffer Road.

Police said a vehicle was pulled over about 12:31 p.m. During the traffic stop, Christian, a passenger in the car, was being uncooperative with officers, according to IMPD. At some point he was asked to get out of the vehicle, and officers noticed he had a weapon.

A struggle for the weapon ensued, during which a Taser was deployed by an officer, police said. When the Taser was found to be ineffective, one of the officers shot Christian.

Officers learned Christian was wanted for carrying a handgun without a license, police said. A gun was also recovered from the scene. 

Oct. 19 - Just after 11 p.m., officers arrived at the Cheswick Apartments on East 30th Street near Post Road after reports of a disturbance involving several people, police said.

Officers approached a group of people in a grassy area when two men walked away and refused to stop when asked, police said. One of the suspects then fired at police, prompting one officer to return fire. The suspects then fled on foot. No one was injured. 

Nov. 9 - Around 9:25 p.m., officers were called to the AutoZone at 5455 N. Keystone Ave. on reports of a possible armed robbery in progress.

Upon arrival, police came in contact with three armed suspects. Police said one officer fired two shots in the direction of the suspects.

The three suspects fled but were eventually caught by police. They were identified as 28-year-old James Bess, 27-year-old Tony Hamilton and 30-year-old George Taylor.

Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at 317-444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack

Contact IndyStar reporter Ryan Martin at 317-444-6294 or ryan.martin@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter: @ryanmartin