INDIANAPOLIS — Four people and a suspect were injured Wednesday night after a pursuit involving Indianapolis Metropolitan Police.
Around 8:15 p.m, an officer was monitoring traffic near 33rd and Keystone when he saw a vehicle commit a traffic infraction. As the officer began following the vehicle, IMPD Night Watch Captain Don Weilhammer says the officer saw the driver weave in and out of traffic and run a car off the road.
The vehicle did not stop for the officer and at 42nd and Arlington, police say the suspect ran a red light and hit three other vehicles. One of those cars caught on fire.
Four adults were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The suspect, a man, was also injured and taken to the hospital.
Weilhammer says the suspect was wanted for three outstanding warrants — one misdemeanor from Marion County and two felony warrants from other counties.
"There are many factors that go into why or why not we do a pursuit. [If it's] a residential area, that standing by itself would not constitute no, you don't do a pursuit. However, if you were to take this on a school day, with the school being up the road and children walking along, then no, we would not do a pursuit," Weilhammer said. "Other factors that we consider is speed and the amount of traffic in the area and also is it well lit? ... there are many different factors that an officer has to go through and decide whether or not to go ahead and pursue and whether or not to continue to pursue."
The suspect's identity has not been released.
Here is a look at IMPD’s police pursuit policy.
A new statewide police pursuit policy went into affect January 1. Read more about it here.
