An Indiana police officer was shot and killed after she and two other responding officers were called to a domestic disturbance at an apartment complex Thursday afternoon.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officer Breann Leath and a female resident were both shot at the apartment in Edinburgh Square, located in the far east side of Indianapolis, according to police.
The shooting incident happened shortly before 3 p.m. Both victims were taken to a nearby hospital where 24-year-old Leath died from her injuries.
The other female victim who was shot during the incident is in a stable condition at the hospital and is expected to fully recover. Authorities have not released her identity.
Local TV stations reported that traffic on I-70 was completely blocked to clear the way to the hospital for the injured officer.
The suspect was apprehended by officers and taken into custody without further incident, police said.
Leath was with the IMPD for three years and was also a veteran of the National Guard.
She was the daughter of a public servant family. Her father was a reserve deputy at Marion County Sheriff’s Office and her mother a longtime public safety dispatcher.
“It is with a heavy heart that @IMPD_Chief announces the untimely death of @IMPDEast Officer Breann Leath,” IMPD wrote on Twitter. “Officer Leath was a loving mother.”
It is with a heavy heart that @IMPD_Chief announces the untimely death of @IMPDEast Officer Breann Leath.
Officer Leath was a loving mother. A veteran. Daughter of a public servant family. And the example of what an @IMPDnews officer should be.
She will be sorely missed. pic.twitter.com/X6t3orHhji
— IMPD (@IMPDnews) April 9, 2020
“Officer Leath was an example of what an IMPD officer should be. She showed resolve, strength, and compassion in a dangerous job, and was always focused on serving the community she loved. She will be sorely missed,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor.
Homicide Detectives and the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) are conducting an investigation.
Community Showing Support
Police departments, government officials, and mourners showed their support on social media and remembered Leath.
Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.) released a statement on the fallen officer, saying, “Our entire community mourns the loss of this remarkable public servant.”
My statement on the death of IMPD Officer Breann Leath. Our entire community mourns the loss of this remarkable public servant. pic.twitter.com/vhIJMQWJT7
— André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) April 10, 2020
Sen. J.D. Ford (D-Ind.) expressed his “deepest sympathies” and wanted to send his “deepest condolences to the officer’s family during this very difficult time.”
“Today is a truly sad day for our city. Let us grieve and celebrate the officer who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect and serve us all,” he wrote on Twitter.
Lawrence Police Department said on Twitter they lowered their flags at the Government Center and police headquarters in honor of “Officer Breann Leath, her family, and all the women and men in law enforcement.”
The Indiana State Police Alliance wrote their “thoughts and prayers are with” Leath. She “was a mother, military veteran, and daughter of a public service family.”