INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD says officers and Indiana State Police troopers were attacked and their cars were damaged while responding to several street racing and spinning events in Indianapolis over the weekend.
The first incident was reported around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 near East Washington and Pine streets, just east of downtown Indianapolis. Officers conducting a traffic stop saw 100-200 cars "engaged in reckless driving," including spinning, in a parking lot, the department said in a statement.
"Oh my God, there had to have been 100 people out there. There had to been. This is the worst I've ever seen it. The worst. Usually there's about 20 people out there, but it was loaded down there," said Tina Southgate, who lives near Arlington Avenue and Brookville Road.
A group of males started throwing road cones and signs at police cars, damaging their hoods and windshields. At some point, a person began firing shots in the air near officers before fleeing in a car, police said.
That car was later found empty and towed.
After more officers arrived and made announcements, the crowd started to disperse, IMPD said.
Less than two hours later, around 4 a.m., an IMPD officer found 30 to 40 cars blocking the area of Brookville Road and Arlington Avenue.
A state police trooper tried to use lights and sirens to disperse the crowd. An IMPD officer saw a black SUV driving over a curb to exit the parking lot. It almost hit the trooper's vehicle. Police chased the SUV and arrested the driver in the 300 block of North Webster Avenue.
That night, around 10:40 p.m., IMPD officers went to help state police with reckless drivers reported in the 3400 block of Lafayette Road, near the intersection with 34th Street.
They dispersed the crowd using drones and the Event Response Group.
Police say later they went to Lafayette Road and Pike Plaza and found dozens of vehicles spinning and doing burnouts in a parking lot. They say the crowd hit the police cars with fireworks, fire extinguishers, rocks and bottles. The crowd fled when more police started arriving.
The driver of one of the cars was arrested later for doing donuts near pedestrians.
On Monday, Sept. 16 around 2:50 a.m., police were called to the 7000 block of English Avenue, near Shadeland Avenue, on reports of more reckless driving.
Police say there were more than 50 vehicles blocking the intersection. Police say they tried to break up the event with lights and sirens when a large crowd approached.
Police say multiple people in the crowd had baseball bats. One smashed the windshield of a cruiser, while others threw baseball bats and bottles of lighter fluid at the cars. Police say they started backing away, but the crowd followed them.
“I can only imagine what is going through their head, especially as 20 people with masks and baseball bats approach your car when you are just trying to do your job,” IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said. “This is not legal behavior. You don’t get to do this type of behavior. You can’t do it. So don’t.”
When the crowd went back to their own cars, police were able to catch one driver who had allegedly damaged the police vehicles.
Then around 3:15 a.m., police found another group on English Avenue at the intersection with Emerson Avenue.
Police say this crowd had poured oil and gasoline on the road and lit it on fire. When police tried to disperse the crowd, they say they were again met with violence.
Police say a group of men in masks began walking toward police carrying baseball bats, sticks, and cans of gas and oil. Police say the men threw the objects, including the gas and oil, at officers and their vehicles. Some of the objects were on fire. One person started spraying a fire extinguisher, creating a cloud that made it hard for police to see what was happening.
"Our officers responded to calls regarding street takeovers and spinning, and in doing so, they were met with violence," Bailey said. "Let me be clear: we will not tolerate any behavior that puts officer safety or the safety of our community at risk."
No officers were reported to have serious injuries, but several police cruisers sustained significant damage.
"Why don't they go to the track and do this? I mean, Kitley's right there if you want to go and do donuts, go over there. They don't need to do this. No, it's too dangerous," Southgate said.
Arrests and investigation
IMPD says there were at least seven arrests and expects to announce more in the coming days.
Indiana State Police is also supporting IMPD with investigations and response. ISP has worked with IMPD on this problem for several years.
Since March 2023, state police have recovered more than 100 stolen vehicles and made more than 40 arrests in relation to these street takeover incidents.
“Indiana State Police will continue to support this effort and community. I spoke with Superintendent Doug Carter and his command staff and we have offered all our available resources to continue to be engaged,” ISP Sgt. John Perrine said.
In the coming weeks, IMPD also plans to introduce a local ordinance that would give the department more teeth when it comes to holding these suspects accountable.
In 2023, the department also advocated at the Statehouse for Senate Bill 240, but it did not pass. The bill would have increased the penalties for those caught “spinning” or participating in a “street takeover” or fleeing from officers.
IMPD plans to return to the legislature this year and advocate again for harsher penalties.
Police are also looking for tools to allow them to seize and forfeit vehicles.