DOC name misspelling allowed suspected shooter of IMPD cop to be out on bond, despite being on parole

INDIANAPOLIS — A man charged in the shooting of an IMPD officer had been released on bond on a felony charge in January — even though he was on probation — because of a misspelling of his first name, according to a spokesperson for the courts.

Mylik Hill, 31, had served eight years in prison over a 2011 conviction of multiple charges including robbery, carrying a handgun without a license and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. But the Department of Correction had Hill's first name misspelled as Mylak on records from that conviction.

Although he was released in 2018, Hill is still on parole for that 2011 conviction through 2025, according to online DOC records.

This means he was also on parole when he was arrested on Jan. 31 when he was arrested for allegedly stealing electronics from a Walmart and fleeing from police. That arrest led to charges of resisting law enforcement and theft, which should have violated his parole and kept him from receiving bond — but because the DOC misspelled his name, the courts were unaware of his prior conviction and probation.

Because of that error, Hill was allowed to be released on a $500 bond for his January charges.

"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," Marion County courts said in a statement released Thursday evening. "The bond was set upon the outright arrest for the highest charge of a Level 6 Felony, which was a $500 case bond."

On Feb. 27, Hill was involved in an exchange of gunfire with IMPD officers that seriously wounded Officer Thomas Mangan. He now faces multiple additional charges, including attempted murder.

You can read the full statement from the Marion County courts below:

Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, questioned Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears after the development came to light.

"We just have this basic question,” Snyder said to Mears at a press conference Tuesday. “By releasing this suspect on a low $500 cash bond knowing he was on parole on conditional release and the prior criminal history, how did that serve the safety of the public?"

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears did not answer Snyder’s questions directly but said sometimes these situations are a matter of timing.

"By the time we filed the case, that particular individual was released and the only thing we (could) do at that particular point in time is request a warrant — and there was parole warrant active at the time this incident occurred," Mears said.

The prosecutor said a conviction on the attempted murder charge could land Hill in prison for up to 40 years. There is no timeline on when his first appearance in court could be, as he is still in the hospital recovering from injuries he suffered in the shooting.

Mangan was shot in the throat, and it's unclear whether he'll be able to speak, breathe, or swallow normally again.