CARMEL, Ind. — The Carmel Police Department has created a video summary of the officer-involved shooting on July 27, 2020. It includes 911 calls and bodycam video from the officer who fired on the suspect.
According to police, 28-year-old Taylor Leigh Cox died in the shooting and a 66-year-old woman was hospitalized. She has since been released and has not been identified.
The suspect, who also died, is 26-year-old Julio Cesar Virula.
WARNING – THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES AND LANGUAGE. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
The shootings happened in the Spring Creek neighborhood off of Hazel Dell Parkway and south of 146th Street. During the original 911 call, police said Cox's mother said her daughter's boyfriend was armed and suicidal. Virula then took the phone from her, but didn't hang it up. Police then heard gunshots and later found Cox had been shot multiple times and her mother twice. The mother was able to escape and run for help.
As officers were responding, more calls came in about additional shots being fired. Police say Virula had gone back over to Cox and shot her several more times at close range killing her. You then hear several more shot and screaming.
In the 911 call, you can hear a wounded Cox pleading with Virula not to shoot her mother. You can hear him complain that her mother had called 911. You then hear Virula say, "You still alive, b***h?" He complains again that her mother called police and then tells her that she's dead. Several more shots can then be heard and police said those were the shots that killed Cox.
As officers arrived, Virula had gone back into the home where the incident began. Officers began searching for him and were then told that Virula was hiding in tall grass at a nearby retention pond.
Officer Shane VanNatter is the officer who ran after and ultimately shot the suspect. He was wearing a bodycam. Officer VanNatter is assigned to the Carmel Police Department School Resource Unit and has 13 years of experience with CPD.
During the chase, Officer VanNatter's rifle hits his bodycam causing it to turn upside down. The camera then falls off as the officer continues to run. The video continues recording and you can hear Officer VanNatter shout, "Sir, drop the gun!" A moment later more than a dozen gun shots can be heard.
No officers were injured in the incident.
Police found a loaded gun near Virula's body and an additional magazine in his pocket. The police investigation found Virula had reloaded the gun after killing Cox and wounding her mother.
An internal investigation done by Carmel Police Department found Officer VanNatter acted within department policy during the incident. A criminal investigation was also conducted and the findings turned over to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
As part of the investigation, police noted they had received an anonymous call about Cox's safety earlier in the morning the day of the shooting, but responding officer's were not able to make contact with her.
The department is also looking into a stronger mounting system for officer bodycams.