JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind.– Employees in the Johnson County Prosecutor’s office say they were “very concerned” when they saw Mekielle Pullins’ name attached to an Amber Alert issued out of Indianapolis Tuesday night.
The concern stemmed from criminal charges against Pullins, alleging domestic violence and criminal recklessness.
“Based on the facts that I was aware of in those cases, I found the situation to be very concerning for the children,” said Domestic Violence Deputy Prosecutor Shaina Carmichael.
Two months before Pullins allegedly abducted and threatened to hurt her children, she was accused of attacking the father and nearly running over one of the kids with her car. Court documents state that on May 7, Pullins drove with her children in her car to the Johnson County Armory, where her boyfriend was in training. She allegedly went to the Armory to confront her boyfriend because she wanted him to be home with her and the children.
“There was some frustration between the two of them at that time,” Carmichael said. “And during the confrontation, there was a verbal exchange, a verbal argument and it escalated to where she actually struck him.”
Franklin Police said the boyfriend had bleeding cuts on his forehead when they responded to the Armory. Witnesses told police that Pullins angrily and forcefully slammed two young children to the ground when she took them out of her car at the Armory. One witnesses said Pullins threw a child seat with the baby in it onto the ground hard enough to make the baby bounce up in the seat. They also said she forcefully slammed a 2-year-old boy onto the ground, causing his feet to hit hard on the pavement.
After the confrontation, a witness said the 2-year-old child was standing in front of Pullins’ vehicle when she began to quickly drive away from the Armory. The witness said he had to grab the child and pull him away in order to keep him from being run over by Pullins.
Later in the say, Greenwood Police located Pullins at the apartment where she was staying with her boyfriend. Officers said Pullins became loud and uncontrollable when they encountered her. They said they had to physically restrain Pullins as she fought against them, kicking one officer in the shin.
Pullins was ultimately charged with domestic battery, criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct. The cases are still pending in Johnson County court.
Based on this history, Carmichael said she was greatly relieved to hear Pullins’ children were found safe in Indianapolis Tuesday night. She and others now have concerns about Pullins’ well-being as police continue to search for her.
“My hope and concern is that she recognizes the seriousness of this situation and makes an effort to make contact with family and law enforcement so that she can address this quickly and in a way that no-one gets hurt,” Carmichael said. “Either herself or anyone else.”
Anyone who sees Pullins or knows where she might be is asked to call police immediately.
