INDIANAPOLIS — Police say they have new video that shows a man had a gun in his hand when police shot him Friday morning.
The shooting happened on Caroline Avenue, near East 38th Street and North Keystone Avenue, around 11 a.m. Nov. 10. The man, later identified by police as 31-year-old Dontriell Hood, was said to be in "serious, but stable" condition following the shooting.
13News looked into Hood's criminal past. Police used force against him about a year-and-a-half ago in a very similar situation close to the location of Friday's shooting.
Police said they obtained home surveillance video of Friday's shooting that provides two new angles of the incident and that the video shows shows Hood fell to the ground, crawled to the gun and picked it up before the officer fired his gun.
According to court documents, Hood was shot in the upper arm. The officer who fired his gun has been identified as eight-year veteran patrol officer Connor Finch.
Police released photos of the alleged gun Friday and said information released the day of the incident remains accurate.
Officers had responded to a report of a man firing shots on Caroline Avenue, just east of the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
According to court documents, a neighbor who was babysitting four grandkids said Hood knocked on her door multiple times and pushed his way inside. The neighbor said she was able to get Hood out of the house but saw Hood take an object out of his pocket, which she believed was a handgun.
That's when the neighbor said Hood pointed the gun toward her home, and she said she heard seven gunshots. Court documents say the neighbor had her grandkids lie on the ground, and she called 911.
When police arrived, they said they took cover behind police cars and confronted Hood, who initially complied with orders to drop his gun and get on the ground. Hood was told to get up and walk slowly toward police, which he did. But police said he then turned around and moved quickly toward the gun.
Police now say that home surveillance video shows Hood picked up the gun before the officer shot him.
Court documents say Hood has a history of mental illness, specifically schizophrenia.
Suspect's criminal past
13News has learned that police confronted Hood in very similar situation on April 3, 2022. Police responded to Keystone Avenue and Fall Creek Parkway on a report of a man in the water who was firing shots at people who were fishing. The location is less than a half-mile from Friday's incident.
Police confronted Hood on the trail that runs along Fall Creek. Court records say, "Officers yelled loud, verbal commands requesting that Mr. Hood walk in their direction. Mr. Hood placed his hands above his head and laid on the ground. Mr. Hood was again provided loud, verbal commands by officers to walk in their direction. Mr. Hood returned to his feet and began taking steps away from officers."
Officers fired a less-lethal round at Hood. He fell to the ground, and officers took him into custody. A gun was found lying next to Hood.
From that incident last year, Hood was convicted of being a felon with a gun and two counts of criminal recklessness. Hood was serving two years of home detention at the time of Friday's shooting.
His first felony conviction was for a 2016 incident where he pleaded guilty to strangling and beating with a baseball bat the mother of his children.
On Wednesday, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office formally charged Hood with the following:
- Criminal recklessness
- Two counts of unlawful carrying a handgun
- Resisting law enforcement
He is currently on a seven-day hold with no bond. Hood's advisement of rights hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m.