INDIANAPOLIS — The Black Church Coalition, a project of Faith in Indiana, is again calling for police accountability in two investigations of use of force against Black men.
Herman Whitfield III died in police custody April 25, 2022, after he was tasered during a call for a mental health crisis. Anthony Maclin was shot three times, but survived, after police shot at him as he was sitting in a car in his grandmother’s driveway Dec. 31, 2022.
The Black Church Coalition held a news conference at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church Tuesday, then walked across the street to pray at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's North District Headquarters. They prayed for Herman Whitfield Jr., who spoke for justice for his son.
"We stand humbly before you crying out there would be justice in Indianapolis, Father,” a pastor also prayed over Maclin, who attended the event with his grandmother but did not speak to reporters.
Herman Whitfield III’s parents called police for an ambulance to help their son through a mental health episode in the early morning hours of April 25.
"They came in the house, my wife asked them, 'You're not going to kill my son, are you?' And 9 1/2 minutes later, he was gone,” said Whitfield Jr.
The coroner ruled Whitfield's death a homicide. Multiple community groups have repeatedly called for the officers involved to be fired. The family went to federal court to get all the raw police body camera video finally released to the public.
"We all just need to come together and just demand that IMPD and its officers be held accountable for the terrible, terrible trauma and tragedies caused in my home,” said Whitfield Jr.
"The people of Indianapolis are tired,” said Rev. Tony Alexander with Purpose of Life Ministries. “The people of Indianapolis have distrust. The people of Indianapolis feel disrespected. The people of Indianapolis feel unheard."
The Black Church Coalition is now also asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate a pattern of excessive force by IMPD officers.
"We are nearly a year past the killing of Herman Whitfield III, and we have lost trust in IMPD's ability to hold itself accountable,” said Pastor Tim Taylor of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, which hosted the news conference.
"We do not feel safe with the current culture of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department,” said Rev. Darrell Brooks of New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church. "And we haven't felt safe for a long time."
Lawyers say that three Metro police officers fired over 30 shots at Maclin as he awoke from sleeping with a gun on his lap while sitting in a car in his grandmother's driveway. Vickie Driver called police about the suspicious car in her driveway at 36th Street and Oxford Avenue, but told them it might be one of her grandchildren.
"It's simply unacceptable in 2023 that the color of your skin or the area where you live determines whether you can trust the police,” said Driver.
The Black Church Coalition is also calling for those three officers to be fired and prosecuted.
The prosecutor is still reviewing whether any officers will face criminal charges in the Maclin or Whitfield cases. Only the civilian-majority use of force review board can fire an officer, and that review does not happen until the criminal process is complete.