INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department vehicles were damaged after a party on the near northwest side.
Just before midnight Saturday, officers were called to the intersection of West 16th Street and Rochester Avenue on a report of a disturbance and a large group of people fighting in the street. Additional 911 calls indicated at least two people involved in the fight had guns.
Police arrived on scene and found 40-50 juveniles fighting in the middle of West 16th Street. They tried to detain a minor who was armed, but he fled on foot. Officers caught him after a brief chase.
“I ain’t never seen so many kids,” said neighbor Anthony Thompson. “It got out of control. It got out of hand.”
While officers were dealing with the juvenile, someone threw a concrete block through the rear window of an unmarked and unoccupied police car. Moments later, another concrete block was thrown through the rear window of a marked police car.
“They were out there like grown people, cussing and talking back to the police,” said Thompson.
Anthony recorded the aftermath of the incident from his doorway. Unfortunately, the large scale fight along 16th Street isn’t the only recent disturbance involving a group of kids.
In February, on multiple weekends, officers responded to large fights involving young people downtown.
One free-for-all recorded on cell phones resulted in a deadly shooting outside the Buda Lounge.
“That is very disturbing and that’s why we want to make sure we have resources to help our youth make better choices,” said city county councilperson La Keisha Jackson.
Jackson joined Mayor Joe Hogsett at a press conference announcing a series of job fairs aimed at finding jobs for at risk youth.
“We want to give them opportunity where they can make good choices instead of idleness where all too often they fill it with bad choices and bad decisions,” said Hogsett.
Pathway Resource Center, Inc. partnered with the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), Mayor Joe Hogsett, Project Indy Indiana Black Expo, Inc., Flaherty & Collins, and Employee Indy to discuss the upcoming Indy My Brother’s Keeper Youth Resource Fair.
The resource fairs are designed to help transform the lives of youth ages 16-24 living in Indianapolis by getting them jobs and keeping them off the street.
For more information on the Indy My Brother’s Keeper Youth Program you can log on pathwayindy.org.
After witnessing the weekend ruckus firsthand, Anthony agrees the city needs more programs to keep kids out of trouble.
“I really feel the city needs to be more supervised and involved with children and the places that they go,” said Thompson.
Following the weekend incident, police arrested the 16-year-old for illegal gun possession and trying to run away from police, but because he’s underage police are not releasing that suspect’s name.
