Indianapolis police say officer killed machete-wielding man

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indianapolis police officer shot and killed a man after he allegedly charged at officers with a machete during a stand-off.

Officers responded to a home on the city’s northwest side about 6:45 p.m. Sunday after woman reported someone was trying to kill her, the Indianapolis Star reported. Police spokesperson Lt. Shane Foley said a man outside with a machete began yelling at officers and a stand-off ensued.

Negotiators failed to resolve the situation and SWAT officers ultimately fired bean bags at the man and used stun guns on him. The man rushed at officers with the machete and one of them opened fire. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died.

Foley said the officer who shot the man is a 28-year veteran and has been placed on administrative leave.

“This is a tragic incident,” Foley said. “This is not the outcome that anybody wanted. The officers and SWAT team took multiple steps to try and find alternatives besides deadly force.”

Foley said officers had made multiple visits to the address over the weekend to investigate reports of an occupant’s troubling behavior. Each time, officers determined the man didn’t pose a threat. It wasn’t clear if the man with the machete was the subject of those calls.

An Indianapolis police officer earlier this month fatally shot motorist Gary Harrell in the back after Harrell ran from a traffic stop carrying a gun.