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Indianapolis Officers Acquitted In Death Of Man They Cuffed, Tased

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Two Indianapolis police officers were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter charges in the 2022 death of Herman Whitfield III, after he was handcuffed and placed face down by the officers, who were responding to reports that he was having a mental health crisis. A jury acquitted officers Adam Ahmad, 32, and Steven Sanchez, 35, of all of the other charges they faced, including reckless homicide, a felony, and felony and misdemeanor battery charges, reports the New York Times. Sanchez had also faced a second count of involuntary manslaughter for using a Taser on Whitfield, but that charge was dismissed before trial. The officers will return to duty after they complete refresher training, said Police Chief Chris Bailey.


Defense lawyer John Kautzman said, “We had always maintained that they did not do anything wrong in this case,. “They certainly did not engage in any kind of criminal activity.” On April 25, 2022, Ahmad and Sanchez arrived at the Whitfields’ home after Whitfield’s mother, Gladys Whitfield, called 911 saying that her son was having a mental health crisis. Body camera footage showed Whitfield, 39, walking around the house naked.

Whitfield started running and an officer draws a Taser and pulled the trigger, stunning Whitfield. He falls and the officers handcuff him, face down. Whitfield can be heard saying “I’m dying” and that he can’t breathe. The officers are seen performing CPR on him. The two officers were indicted nearly a year after Whitfield died and after his family called on the police for months to release the complete, unedited body camera footage. Ryan Mears, the Marion County prosecutor, said he was “heartbroken” for the Whitfield family. Chief Bailey expressed sympathies for the family and commended the officers for their professionalism during the trial.


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