INDIANAPOLIS — If a statehouse bill becomes law, people would be required to stand 25 feet away from a police officer if the office makes that request during an incident.
"I think that this does not help community and police relations," community advocate Wildstyle Pachall said.
He feels that House Bill 1186 will lead to officers not allowing citizens to film police interactions in public. It's something he says he experienced.
"That officer could have told me to get away from him and keep me even further back from being able to film what was going on during an encounter of three young Black men in my community," Pachall said.
A representative with the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police says the bill promotes officer safety and public safety.
"A lot of times when an officer will pull someone over or detain someone ... if that person has been in some sort of altercation with another individual, the individual that was in the initial fight will come back and try to fight this individual while the officer is present and that just can't happen," Edward Merchant said.
Those types of situations are why state representative Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) wrote the bill.
"Right now a law enforcement officer has to be touched in order to get somebody away from them and be able to deal with the situation and often times it escalates," McNamara told WRTV.
The bill is now headed to the Senate. If it passes, it will go to Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk.
-
Hamilton County prosecutor retiring due to health concerns
Hamilton County Prosecutor Greg Garrison announced Tuesday that he will retire from office effective December 20, citing health concerns that require his immediate attention.
2nd victim leads to more child seduction charges for former Ben Davis coach
A former Ben Davis assistant track coach now faces eight felony counts after a second victim came forward, leading prosecutors to file additional charges.
IMPD reports 150+ crashes from Monday night snowfall
Snow that swept across Central Indiana Monday night into Tuesday morning has led to more than 150 crashes reported by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police since the snowfall began.
City approves three PILOT proposals for affordable housing projects in Indy
The City County Council unanimously approved Payment in Lieu of Taxes or PILOTs for three affordable housing projects in Indianapolis at a meeting Monday night.
