Two Indianapolis cops charged with shooting a man who was sleeping in a car outside his grandmother’s residence have pleaded not guilty.
On Dec. 31, 2022, 24-year-old Anthony Maclin was sleeping in a red rental car when he was met with more than two dozen shots from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers.
His grandmother, identified as Vicki Driver, called the police early that morning at about 4 a.m. to report a car that was running in her driveway, as she wasn’t certain of who was inside, according to an incident video. In the 911 call, Driver noted that she was unsure if one of her children was inside the car.
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When officers responded, they discovered a man “with a handgun in his lap.” Body camera footage shows the officers approach the vehicle and peek through the window, stating that they see the weapon. When they tried to open the door to grab the gun, they found it to be locked. After learning that the car was registered in Florida, an officer asked Driver if she had any grandchildren living there, which she declined.
During the incident, according to the video, one of the officers knocked on the car window and shouted “Police” multiple times. Seconds later, the cops fired their weapons.
“That’s my grandson,” Driver said.
“Get out of the car,” the officers demanded. “Get on the ground.”
Maclin complied, lay on the ground, and was handcuffed by officers. He tells the officers that he was hit. The officers called first responders and tried to provide medical aid to Maclin on the scene.
“How come you didn’t come in the house?” Driver asked.
“I didn’t want to wake you guys up,” he replied.
In another angle of body-camera footage, the department alleged that Maclin moved his hand toward the passenger’s seat. The video is unclear due to raindrops on the window.
Maclin was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The shooting left him with severe injuries, an extended hospital stay, and mounting medical debt. Maclin and his grandmother filed a lawsuit against the officers, the police chief, and the city, seeking damages, WTHR reported. The officers let off at least 30 shots that morning. Maclin’s defense says he was struck three times.
“So many things could have happened to prevent us from being here today. It tears me up every day because I see a young man, which happens to be my grandson, struggle,” Driver told the outlet. “Every day when he puts on his clothes, he’s looking at scars. When he moves his hand, he’s feeling the pain. When he shifts back and forth, it’s a good possibility that the bullets that are still in there can move. All of this could have been prevented.”
Three officers, Alexander Gregory, Carl Chandler, and Lucas Riley, were present during the incident. However, only Gregory and Chandler face battery and criminal recklessness-related charges. Riley was cleared, and as the lawsuit stated, he only fired his weapon once, WTHR reported.
Maclin reportedly has roughly $1 million in medical debt and sustained injuries such as a collapsed right lung, a Grade 4 liver injury and a Grade 4 kidney injury, according to WXIN-TV.
According to the Associated Press, Gregory and Chandler pleaded not guilty on Monday, and their attorneys argued that “video, testimonial, and other evidence will establish the legality of their actions.” Maclin’s attorneys said he never touched his licensed gun, per local reports.
