Police shoot gun weilding man..family says police overreacted and weren't justified

[Terminator]

A police officer fatally shot a man who fired a gun into the air, ran into an apartment building and pointed the gun at officers on the city's east side Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Harold Ward, 28, was shot in a hallway of an apartment building in the 3200 block of East 38th Street shortly before 2 p.m., authorities said.

Ward was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:25 p.m., 6News' Jeremy Brilliant reported.

Witnesses told police that Ward, shortly before the shooting, was involved in an argument at a barbershop near the apartments. He pulled out a gun and threatened several people inside, witnesses told police.

Ward then went outside, waved the gun, fired shots into the air, and laid down in the middle of 38th Street, witnesses said.

People called police. When officers arrived, Ward ignored orders to drop the gun. He ran inside an apartment building and shouted obscenities at officers, police said.

Indianapolis police Officer Brycen Garner entered the building, saw Ward in a hallway and ordered him to drop his gun. Police said Ward pointed a gun at Garner, and Garner responded by shooting Ward once with a shotgun.

Indianapolis police Maj. Lloyd Crowe said the shooting appeared to be justified.

"If (Ward) pointed a gun at the officer, and the officer was in fear of his life, then (the officer) did do the right thing in discharging his weapon," Crowe said.

A woman who identified herself as Ward's cousin said she felt the shooting was not justified.

"They always overreact. Look where you're at. You're on 38th Street, in the hood, where the apartments is at. This is what they do," the woman said.

Garner will be placed on administrative duty during investigations by police and a grand jury. The investigations are standard procedure when a police officer is involved in a fatal shooting, Brilliant reported.

[ida40dj]

yep shes right, guy points gun at cop we shoot him, thats what we do. in any "hood".

[cajunguy]

"They always overreact. Look where you're at. You're on 38th Street, in the hood, where the apartments is at. This is what they do," the woman said.

"And we're the PO-LEECE! And this is what WE do!!"

You point a gun at the po-po, you pay the price! DEAL WITH IT!!

.

[Retdetsgt]

I bet he was just starting to get his life together and was planning to start school next fall..... That seems to be the only ones we ever kill.

[TXCharlie]

Aren't cops like superman? Bullets just bounce off of you.

So play fair, and wait to see if he shoots first. Shooting first is un-sporting of you

[BigBossMan]

"And we're the PO-LEECE! And this is what WE do!!"

You point a gun at the po-po, you pay the price! DEAL WITH IT!!

.

Amen to that!!!

[TheOldRhino]

I bet he was just starting to get his life together and was planning to start school next fall..... That seems to be the only ones we ever kill.

Yes. After his term in the peacecorps is up and he finishes building that new soup kitchen.

Those officers should have known by using their crystal ball that the POS wasn't going to shoot them.