Two people have been arrested following a shooting on South Meridian Street in downtown Indianapolis.
According to court documents, the violence began with a fight at Georgia Street Rhythm & Blues. After security kicked some of the combatants out of the building, the fight spilled over into an adjacent parking lot, where one woman was shot.
The incident occurred about 1:30 a.m. Monda. IMPD officers assisted in breaking up a brawl, only to hear a barrage of gunshots. One woman was rushed to the hospital with bullet wounds on her right side, hip, and leg.
The victim’s relatives promptly informed authorities that Pamela Richardson, who was still on the scene wearing a bra and no shirt, had perpetrated the crime.
According to an original affidavit, the 51-year-old told authorities, “I am not going to run.” I did not flee when I shot her. I defended myself after they jumped me. I’m a disabled woman.
Richardson went on, “She hit me in the face with something, so that’s why I shot her.”
“When you have millions of people visit a small area, there are going to be incidents, but we want to mitigate those, and when they happen, we want to take people into custody and hold them accountable,” said Shane Foley, commander of the IMPD Downtown District.
While Foley noted that IMPD does have extra officers working downtown on weekends, authorities cannot make everyone behave.
“Well, I’m going to tell you, it doesn’t make the business community happy, but it’s a powder keg down there,” said Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis FOP.
In addition to witnesses, authorities say a trailer camera in the parking lot caught the gunshot, which looked to be unprovoked because the victim was not actively fighting the perpetrator at the time.
That shooting was one of three violent occurrences in downtown this weekend, all of which ended in arrests.
“At some point, people have to realize that the area is so covered with cameras, you’re not getting away with anything,” according to Snyder.
While investigating the shooting, investigators noticed 47-year-old Troy Simmons hanging near the scene.
According to court papers, Simmons was not involved in the shooting but had been in a huge fight at another bar and was unlawfully equipped with a pistol. As a result, Simmons was arrested for possession of a handgun by a serious violent criminal.
Simmons and Richardson are currently being jailed without bond while awaiting their initial hearings later this week.
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