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.
-
From hardships to hiring: New Indy nonprofit helps men suit up for success
In Pursuit Of, Inc. is helping veterans, men re-entering the workforce and those just dealing with financial hardships look and feel their professional best.
Cleanup continues at homeless encampment on East Washington Street
Cleanup of a homeless encampment behind the Walmart on East Washington Street continues as the city brings in heavy machinery to move the trash.
Pacers launch audio description service for visually impaired fans
Visually impaired fans will have a new way to experience Indiana Pacers games this season through a partnership with nonprofit MindsEye that provides live audio description at 20 home games.
4,270-year-old human skull found in Fayette County
A piece of human skull found along the Whitewater River in Fayette County is approximately 4,270 years old, dating back to around 2300 B.C., announced Monday by the coroner's office.
