INDIANAPOLIS -- Two people are in custody after a robbery and a police chase in which an officer fired shots.
The robbery was reported around 1 p.m. Saturday at the Low Cost Rx pharmacy on Madison Avenue east of U.S. 31, just south of E. Stop 11 Rd. IMPD Major Richard Riddle says two young men wearing masks robbed the pharmacy of drugs and cash, but were spotted by police in the parking lot while they were leaving the business because a clerk triggered a silent alarm.
One of the officers chased the men toward an apartment complex nearby, where Riddle says the suspects got into a red Pontiac, which was their getaway car. The car then drove at the officer, whom Riddle said had been on the force only 32 days, and the officer fired two shots as he dove out of the way. The officer was not hurt, and the shots did not strike the car.
Riddle says the robbers' car was spotted a short time later by officers from IMPD and Southport Police on Stop 11 Road. After a chase lasting about one mile, the getaway car crashed on Hearthstone Way. A 17-year-old girl who was driving the car and an 18-year-old, Dontae Blair, were captured, while the other suspect managed to get away.
Detectives recovered several pill bottles dropped by the suspects as they ran, in addition to a .40-caliber handgun Riddle says was dropped by one of them near the location of the getaway car. No one inside the pharmacy was hurt during the robbery.
As standard procedure any time an officer fires their weapon, detectives from the Critical Incident Response Team will review the incident, and the officer will be placed on administrative leave while investigators from IMPD's Internal Affairs Unit conduct a separate investigation.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-TIPS (8477). Information shared via Crime Stoppers should be considered anonymous and confidential.
