INDIANAPOLIS — The man charged with shooting an IMPD officer in Fountain Square is a convicted felon who violated his parole with another felony arrest on Jan. 31. But Mylik Hill remained free on a $500 cash bond for nearly a month before the shooting Feb. 27.
Hill was arrested on Jan. 31 after he and another man allegedly stole televisions and clothing from a Walmart, then fled from police in a car. Hill was on parole, released from state prison about a year ago after serving over eight years for armed robbery.
But that information apparently went unnoticed or was not considered when Hill was booked into the Marion County Adult Detention Center at 3:29 p.m. on Jan. 31. The court posted a $500 dollar cash bond, which Hill's wife paid later that Monday. The Marion County Sheriff's Office said two warrants checks were conducted after midnight, with no outstanding warrants discovered, before Hill was released from jail at 1:32 a.m. on Feb. 1.
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Many agencies in the judicial system are involved in various aspects of this case. But Indianapolis defense attorney Katie Jackson-Lindsay, who represents many defendants accused of violent crimes, doesn't think any agency or person dropped the ball.
"Based on the circumstances that I believe were presented to that judicial officer who set that bond, I feel that that bond was appropriate,” said Jackson-Lindsay. She is not representing Hill.
The Marion Superior Court issued a statement in response to questions about how the bond was determined:
"Individuals arrested for a Class A Misdemeanor or Level 6 Felony in Marion County undergo an Indiana Risk Assessment (IRAS). Criminal history data is also compiled from the Indiana Prosecutor’s Portal. Additionally, when an officer makes an arrest, it is noted whether it is an outright arrest or an arrest for outstanding warrants. All outstanding warrant information, if available, is entered into the Offender Management System (OMS) by the Marion County Sheriff. The Court compiles information from OMS, Indiana Prosecutor’s Portal and the IRAS for bond determination.
In the case of Mylik Hill ... there was no indication of any outstanding warrant(s) for parole supervision at the date of his arrest on January 31, 2022. The bond was set based upon the outright arrest for the highest charge of a Level 6 Felony, which was a $500 cash bond. The bond was posted prior to charges being filed on February 1, 2022. A Motion to Revoke bond was filed on March 8, 2022, under this cause.
This matter is currently pending before the Marion Superior Court and the court is unable to offer additional comments due to the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct."
"Our system is broken in a lot of ways,” said Jackson-Lindsay. “But in this particular situation, I don't think that's what happened. I think it is a normal process that happened quickly and may have been realized later. But based on the nature of these particular unique circumstances, I think what happened is the normal course of what happens."
Hill's arrest prompted the Indiana Department of Correction to mark him in parole violation on Feb. 2 and delinquent as of Jan. 19, the last time he had contact with his parole officer.
But Hill remained free on bond. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office made no attempt to put him in custody at an initial hearing Feb. 14.
Four weeks passed between Hill's shoplifting arrest and the Feb. 27 shooting of Officer Thomas Mangan.
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We questioned many agencies, but none provided a clear legal answer as to whether Hill should have been back in jail when the shooting happened.
"This happened as a result of a lack of communication between agencies, but not a lack of communication that was necessarily negligent of anyone’s job duties," said Jackson-Lindsay.
Hill faces two counts of attempted murder, six counts of resisting law enforcement, possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, and criminal mischief.
Hill also was shot twice in the shoulder, and once in the thigh, by Officer Daniel Majors, who was Mangan’s field training officer. He is in custody while recovering at Eskenazi Hospital.
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