13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |State representative attacked in Carmel

State representative attacked in Carmel

Carmel - An Indianapolis man is facing attempted murder and other charges in the beating of a state representative Saturday morning.

John and Kathy Palmer were driving Saturday around 10:15 a.m. when they saw a black car parked along the street and stopped to check things out. They are one of five families still living on Catherine Drive in Carmel, most of which has been bought by a developer, so the strange car deserved some investigation.

"They said they were looking at property and we thought that was strange, because this property has all been bought by Browning. There is nothing for sale in here," said John Palmer.

State Representative Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) was in the driver's seat and 38-year-old Augustus J. Mendenhall was on the passenger side. The Palmers say DeLaney was trying to give them a signal or warning.

"He was giving us the finger and winking," said John Palmer.

It was enough to raise their suspicion and call police. When officers arrived, they saw Mendenhall on top of DeLaney, punching him in the head. The suspect had a gun and was trying to use it, but he ran when police arrived.

After a short foot chase, he was shot with a stun gun by police and taken into custody.

Rep. DeLaney, 66, who represents the 86th District in the state legislature, was taken to the hospital with injuries to his head and face.

"Under the circumstances, he's been doing very well," DeLaney's wife, Ann, told the Indianapolis Star.

Ann DeLaney said her husband had never met Mendenhall before Saturday and believed he was a prospective client to purchase some land and was seeking legal advice. Rep. DeLaney is also a lawyer, partnering with his wife and daughter in the law firm of DeLaney & DeLaney.

DeLaney is lucky the Palmers interrupted the meeting.

"We probably saved his life and that he was lucky that we happened to stop and know him," said Kathy Palmer.

It turns out that DeLaney and Kathy Palmer used to work together.

"I recognized him and I said his name right away, because I was surprised," she said.

"I was shocked to hear of the brutal attack on State Representative Ed DeLaney. Ed is a true servant of the people and I'm confident he has the strength to recover fully from his injuries. The thoughts of the entire city are with Ann and the DeLaney family at this time," the statement read.

Mendenhall was transported to the Hamilton County Jail after being checked out and released from Carmel St. Vincent's Hospital. Police recovered a .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun when Mendenhall was taken into custody.

He faces felony charges of attempted murder, robbery, aggravated battery and criminal confinement, in addition to a misdemeanor charge of resisting law enforcement.

Rep. DeLaney's Web site