INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer remains in the hospital recovering from his injuries after he was shot in the line of duty Sunday night.
The officer, who is in his first year and was in field training at the time of the shooting, was last listed in serious, but stable condition.
“When an officer is attacked like this, and thankfully has survived, it’s a stark reminder of what is truly at risk,” said Rick Snyder, President of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).
On Tuesday, Snyder said he had the opportunity to visit with the injured officer and his family in the hospital. He said they are continuing to lean on their faith to help them through and ask the community to keep them in their prayers.
“The officer is still in the fight and as we discussed, he’s standing his post,” said Snyder. “This family has humbly asked for our community to remained joined together, united in faith, and to lift him and his family up in prayers.”
The officer’s identity has not yet been released by the department.
IMPD Assistant Chief Chris Bailey shared that both he and Chief Randal Taylor visited the injured officer in the hospital on Wednesday.
“Chief Taylor & I Just visited with our hero @IMPDnews Officer and his wife at hospital. Such amazing people. They are positive and using their faith to get through this season. The officer is in good spirits, but has a long road to recovery. Please pray for him and his family.”
Originally tweeted by Assistant Chief Chris Bailey (@irishsarge) on March 2, 2022.
The man accused of shooting the officer, 31-year-old Mylik Hill, was also shot during Sunday’s incident. Hill remains in the hospital, where he is in police custody, but has not yet been arrested or charged in Sunday’s incident.
Hill is currently under arrest for warrants related to theft and resisting law enforcement, along with a warrant for a parole violation from a conviction for robbery and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, IMPD confirmed.
“We remain steadfast at this point, we want to see confirmation of the records, the public records, and a confirmation of this, but reviewing what publicly available information, it appears this was a repeat violent offender, in fact, classified by law as a serious violent offender, who was out on parole,” said Snyder.
Court records confirm that Hill was arrested on January 31 and charged with theft, a level 6 felony, and two counts of resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony and class A misdemeanor. He was released on Feb. 1 on a $500 cash bond, documents show.
“Here again was an opportunity for the system to intervene, do the violation for the parole violation on the serious violent offender and hold person in custody, but instead because they were cycled through that revolving door on a low cash bond, now here we sit. You have an officer that’s critically injured, a wife that is asking questions of why and how, and a community that should be demanding answers,” said Snyder.
“It could have been prevented. It leads to many strong questions,” said Snyder.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Hill acted as the getaway driver in a theft at an Indianapolis Walmart. Documents allege another man with him loaded stolen items, including a flat screen TV, into the back of a vehicle that Hill was driving, before Hill fled from police and led officers on a high-speed chase.
After coming to a stop, documents show that Hill took off on foot and was eventually tracked down by Butler Police Department officers and IMPD K9 officers, at which time he was arrested.
“Mylik Hill is currently on probation/supervised release for prior robbery and felony firearm possession,” the affidavit reads.
Court records show that Hill was convicted in a burglary and theft case in 2009. He also served a sentence in the Putnamville Correctional Facility for a conviction related to a 2011 armed robbery in Indianapolis.
According to Indiana Department of Correction records, Hill was sentenced to 15 years, with the possibility of reducing time served with good time credit. He served around 8.5 years behind bars.
In 2018, Hill wrote a letter to the court, asking to be considered for a work release program.
“Some mistakes I believe I will never make again, like jeopardizing my life and freedom,” wrote Hill. “I would actually like to apologize to my victims.”
The letter also read, in part, “I’m no longer involved in misconduct in any way shape form or fashion. I know what is truly right. I know the price of crime doesn’t pay at all.”
Court records show the request for admission to a community corrections program in 2020 was denied, in part, due to misconduct while incarcerated.
According to state records, Hill was released in Feb. 2021 from the Putnamville Correctional Facility and assigned to the Indianapolis Parole District. However, he was marked delinquent as of Jan. 19, 2022.
“This is very important,” said Snyder. “This is all still recognizing that the offender in this is alleged suspect in this latest incident of violence. This incident of violence occurred, this is the alleged suspect. Again, we’re not passing judgement on this, we’re just saying that if this is the suspect in that, we’re potentially identifying that regardless if this crime occurred or not, they shouldn’t have been out.”
About Sunday’s officer-involved shooting, officer shot
According to police, just after 10 p.m. officers were responding to a report of an accident in the 1600 block of Lexington Avenue when they received additional information, including that a male in a red jacket was exposing himself, a male in a red vehicle was “acting strange” and the male in the red vehicle was intoxicated and last seen driving southbound on State Street.
IMPD said witnesses directed officers to a red Buick that reportedly left the scene and was located, along with a person fitting the description they were provided, in the 1600 block of Woodlawn Avenue.
According to police, both officers exited a fully-marked police vehicle in uniform and, within seconds, the man began to run from officers.
The officers reportedly told the man, “stop, police.” IMPD said the suspect exchanged gunfire with at least one officer in an alleyway north of Woodlawn Avenue. Police said officers had body-worn cameras on, which were activated at the time.
IMPD said an officer was shot during the encounter and subsequently transported to an area hospital where he was last listed in serious, but stable condition. Police said it was the crew on Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) Engine 3 that took the officer to the hospital.
During the exchange of gunfire, police said the suspect was also struck. Hill allegedly fled the scene and was found shortly after 11 p.m. in the area of 900 Dawson Street in a fenced-in backyard.
Without assistance from the drone, IMPD said Hill likely would not have been located for an “extended period of time.”
According to police, there was also a handgun found next to the suspect when he was located. Police said he was taken to the hospital, where he was last listed in serious condition.
IMPD said no other officers or citizens were injured during Sunday’s incident, which remains under investigation.
You can read more on Sunday’s incident, here.
