INDIANAPOLIS — Police have identified the man shot by police after a long standoff Monday night at an office park on the northwest side of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were initially called to the 7100 block of Lakeview Parkway West Drive around 5 p.m. for a report of a burglary-in-progress, IMPD Sgt. Grace Sibley said.
When officers arrived, they saw a man, Anthony Statzer, 37, running from the location and into a business in the 7100 block of Zionsville Road, Sibley said. The people inside the business were able to get out before he barricaded himself inside.
Sibley said Statzer had tried to burglarize the first business, but fled after realizing that there were still employees inside.
IMPD crisis negotiators and S.W.A.T. team members secured the area and after an hours-long standoff, Statzer became agitated and pointed a firearm at the officers outside, Sibley said. Officers on scene responded by firing shots at the suspect, striking him.
He was taken into custody and rushed to St. Vincent Hospital in serious condition. No officers were injured in the shooting.
As of Tuesday evening, police said he is in critical condition, but is expected to survive.
Officers located a firearm, allegedly in his possession, when he was detained, Sibley said.
Statzer was charged on the suspicion of attempted burglary, confinement, intimidation, criminal recklessness, pointing a firearm, and serious violent felony in possession of a firearm, Sibley said. Formal charges have not been filed, according to online court records.
The photo below, of Statzer, is a jail booking photo, provided by IMPD, from a recent, unrelated arrest.
IMPD has released the following preliminary timeline of the incident. The information is from the computer aided dispatch system.
- 5:07 p.m.- Northwest District Officers are dispatched to an in-progress business burglary, 7144 Lakeview Parkway W Drive. Dispatch advises responding officers that the suspect is a white male wearing a brown sweater and carrying a bag, who broke the window of the business with a piece of concrete and attempted to enter an occupied vehicle.
- 5:09 p.m. – Officer advises on the radio of that he can see a male matching the description leaving the business on foot and walking toward Pike High School.
- Additional Units begin to back on to the call and respond.
- Officer advises on the radio that the male is crossing the intersection of W. 71st Street and Zionsville Road. Officer also advises that the male is attempting to open vehicle and business doors.
- Officer observed the male enter 7120 Zionsville Road, Coach’s Drivers Education and advised that there may be a hostage situation with the students inside the business.
- Male has an encounter with the female employee upon entry. Employee notified the instructor and four students that there is an intruder in the building and all six exit the through the rear door.
- Employee of the business advises arriving officers that there is no one else inside the business.
- Officer advises on the radio that witnesses state they could not see a weapon but the male implied he had one in his bag.
- Responding officers secure a perimeter around the building and call for Crisis Negotiators and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (S.W.A.T. team).
- Officers on the perimeter advise control that the male walked to the door with his hands concealed in his sweatshirt.
- K9 officers arrived and beginning making announcements over the in-vehicle PA system for the male to exit the business.
- S.W.A.T. officers arrive on scene.
- On-scene supervisor establishes Zionsville Incident Command.
- Crisis negotiators and S.W.A.T. operators attempted to persuade the male to put down weapon and exit the business.
- The male fired a shot into the ceiling and pointed the firearm at S.W.A.T. officers while walking around the business screaming.
- For approximately 5 hours officers attempted to negotiate a safe surrender with the male.
- The male then moved closer to the front window, jumped and pointed a firearm at S.W.A.T. officers.
- Officers fired their weapons at the male, striking and effectively disarming him.
- Officers entered the business and the on-scene S.W.A.T. medic began administering immediate medical aid.
- IEMS medics arrived and transported the male to St. Vincent’s Hospital.
- Notifications of OIS sent out to command staff.
- MECA Communications Van, Police Officer Support Team (POST) and Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency (Crime Lab) are requested to the scene, per standard operating procedure.
- Detectives respond to the hospital and scene for investigation.
- 1:32 a.m.- Incident command terminated.
- Crime Scene released.
Roads in the area were closed during the standoff, which lasted several hours.
The incident remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
