INDIANAPOLIS – Armed suspect shot by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officer, after suspect had allegedly robbed a nearby gas station.
At approximately 12:38 a.m., IMPD officers were dispatched to an Armed Robbery of the Thortons Gas Station located in the 6800 block of West Washington St. Officers were already in the area, just North of the gas station, on the report of a 17-year-old juvenile runaway dressed in a gray sweatshirt who had taken a gun from his residence. Officers on the scene of the runaway heard the description of the armed robbery suspect and recognized that it was possibly the armed runaway they were looking for.
Officers quickly responded to the area of the Thortons gas station, where two males were seen running from the scene. The officers split up. One officer chased the juvenile suspect and the other officer chased the 2nd male suspect, later identified as 18-year-old Miguel Duran-Vasquez. The officer chasing the juvenile observed the juvenile suspect reach for his waistband, at which time he gave loud verbal commands for the suspect to drop the weapon and show his hands. Fearing for his life, the officer fired his patrol rifle, striking the suspect. The juvenile suspect was then immediately taken into custody and given medical attention. A black firearm was located within reach of the juvenile suspect.
A perimeter was setup and IMPD K9 Units responded to search the area for the 2nd suspect. The 2nd suspect was located in a creek bed behind the 1400 block of Panama Ave, where he was taken into custody without incident. Surveillance video at the gas station showed the juvenile male, wearing a gray sweatshirt, pointing a gun at the cashier and taking money from the register before fleeing the scene. The 2nd suspect had an undetermined amount of cash on his person, which was later determined to be from the robbery. The 2nd suspect was also found to be in possession of marijuana.
EMS personnel responded and immediately transported the wounded juvenile suspect to Eskenazi Hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition. IMPD Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), POST, homicide and aggravated assault detectives responded to assist in the investigation. A separate internal investigation will be conducted by members of the Internal Affairs Unit. Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency responded to collect possible forensic evidence. The involved officer, Officer Douglas Himmel, is currently on Administrative Duty receiving the proper evaluation and treatment and is expected to return to work soon. Himmel is currently assigned to Southwest District and is an 11-year veteran will be placed on administrative leave, as is standard procedure in any officer-involved shooting investigation.
The juvenile suspect was preliminarily charged with Robbery, Possession of a Firearm without a License, and Resisting Law Enforcement. The 2nd suspect was preliminarily charged with Robbery, Possession of Marijuana, and Resisting Law Enforcement. The 2nd suspect was transported to the Arrestee Processing Center (APC) for processing. The case is currently being screened by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) for a charging decision.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317)262-TIPS (8477).
