BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Beech Grove police said a suspect is dead after he allegedly stabbed a police officer Wednesday morning.
The incident started around 6 a.m. May 1 in the 4400 block of Willow Bend Drive, near Thompson Road and South 9th Avenue.
A woman called police to tell them her child's father was at her apartment complex, but she said he wasn't allowed to be there at that time.
Police arrived to the scene and said the man wasn't compliant. The man allegedly told police that he was there to get his child and that officers were going to have to shoot him.
Detectives with Indiana State Police said Wednesday their preliminary investigation shows the officers involved attempted to de-escalate the situation, including backing away from the man, who reportedly ignored commands to drop a knife as he approached police.
As officers were trying to take the man into custody, he allegedly cut Beech Grove Police Lt. Jeff Bruner in the face with a knife. According to ISP, Bruner then shot the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said Bruner, a 19-year veteran of the department, was taken to a hospital and is in good condition. The other officers involved were not injured.
The suspect was identified by police as 26-year-old Joshua Richard, of Noblesville.
Three officers are on administrative leave following the incident, per department protocol in an officer-involved shooting.
"It's damaging to morale, and the biggest danger for us is how do you motivate people to come in and do this job tomorrow?" said Tom Hurrle, deputy chief of operations with the Beech Grove Police Department. "We do everything in our power to take care of these folks that are out here doing the job daily."
Anyone with additional information on the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.