Coroner identifies fleeing armed motorist fatally shot by Indianapolis officer during foot chase

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Marion County Coroner’s Office released on Friday the name of an armed man fatally shot by an Indianapolis police officer as he ran from a traffic stop.

The man was identified as Gary Dwayne Harrell, 49.

The officer stopped Harrell for reckless driving around 9:40 a.m. Thursday on the city’s northeast side. He was exiting his patrol vehicle when Harrell got out of his car “and began verbally engaging with the officer,” police said in a statement.

“The driver then went back to the driver’s seat of his vehicle disregarding the officer’s verbal commands,” then ran from his vehicle with a gun in his hand, according to the statement.

The officer briefly chased Harrell while commanding him to stop, then shot him, police said.

Police provided medical aid to Harrell until medics arrived, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to the statement.

It wasn’t clear whether Harrell fired any shots or pointed the gun at the pursuing officer, police said. A gun was recovered at the scene.

No officers were injured, police said, and the officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave.