INDIANAPOLIS — Police are investigating after a man was shot and killed Tuesday evening in a suspected road rage shooting on Indianapolis' southeast side.
Around 8:15 p.m. July 16, IMPD officers responded to a report of a person shot on South Emerson Avenue at Thompson Road.
When officers arrived, they found 29-year-old Gavin Dasaur who had been shot lying in the middle of the road. Shortly after, Dasaur was pronounced dead.
Witnesses told police the shooting appeared to stem from a road rage incident between the driver of a black Honda and a white Chevy pickup truck. Witnesses said there was an altercation between the drivers and, at some point, the driver of the pickup shot the other driver.
The pickup driver was detained at the scene but later released after further investigation. Detectives told 13News the pickup driver may have been acting in self-defense.
Dasaur recently got married on June 29, just over two weeks before his death.
"He was a hardworking man that always went out of his way to help anyone and wanted to give the world to me and his family," Dasaur's wife, Cinthya ZaMora, told 13News. "He did not deserve to die this way. It’s such a tragedy that my husband was murdered in cold blood."
"As a grieving widow, my heart is shattered, and my world will never be the same," ZaMora said.
Attorney breaks down video of shooting
Video of a deadly road rage shooting on the south side of Indianapolis has been circulating online recently.
13News has decided not to air the full video, but witnesses said there was an altercation between two drivers.
In the video, Gavin Dasaur is seen openly carrying a gun and walking up to the driver of a pickup truck. The pickup driver then shot and killed Dasaur.
The driver of the pickup truck was detained, but later released. Police say the truck driver may have been acting in self-defense.
13News watched that video with a criminal defense attorney who used to be a prosecutor. He says there are certain things to look at when looking for self defense and that Indiana does have a stand your ground law.
"Self defense in Indiana is authorized, so I can use a reasonable amount of force if I reasonably believe that you're trying to harm me or another person," said attorney Daniel Vaughn.
"Another twist on that is deadly force. Now, that's authorized in Indiana, and I have no duty to retreat, but there's a certain calculus that we have to look at now," continued Vaughn. "Specifically what they'll look at is the reasonable belief that I have, that harm is coming to myself, serious bodily injury or imminent harm or a third person. Additionally, I can use deadly force to stop the commission of a forcible felony."
Vaughn further weighed in, saying he believes there's a good argument toward self-defense.
"My initial reaction is that the individual walks up and appears to be carrying a gun. He's initiating the contact. The guy in the car is just sitting there. So I think, without knowing much about the case involved, I think that the checklist that we went through first, I think that there's probably a legitimate claim for self defense," said Vaughn. "Now, I don't know enough about the case, and I'm not seeing the state's file, so there's probably more that I don't know, but based on that little evidence I've seen, I think that there's certainly a good argument to be that he was protecting himself."
13News also reached out to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, but have not heard back on whether or not charges have been filed.
Anyone with information about the shooting can anonymously call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.