What happened to Aaron Bailey?

​

Aaron Bailey was driving just before 2 a.m. on June 29 when police pulled him over for a traffic violation near the intersection of Burdsal Parkway and Riverside Drive. For still-unknown reasons, Bailey sped from the scene and crashed into a tree near the intersection of 23rd and Aqueduct streets. Moments after the crash, two IMPD officers Carlton Howard and Michal Dinnsen, who had pursued Bailey exited their vehicle and fired multiple rounds, striking Bailey four times. He was taken to a hospital where he died. An autopsy determined Bailey suffered gunshot wounds to his back, chest and upper shoulder areas. His family said they counted at least 11 bullet holes in his vehicle.

 

What happened with his case?

​

In July, the FBI announced it had opened an investigation into potential civil rights violations in Bailey’s death after IMPD Chief Bryan Roach requested the agency conduct a parallel investigation. Then in August, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced it had requested and been granted a special prosecutor in the case over concerns about trying the shootings of Bailey and Southport Police Lt. Aaron Allan. Shortly after the shooting, Mayor Joe Hogsett promised there would be an administrative review of the shooting after the criminal investigation completed. On Tuesday, after the special prosecutor’s decision was announced, Hogsett released a statement saying that review would still take place. 

​

The officers themselves were never named publicly until September, when Bailey’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming them as defendants in the case. The officers, Carlton Howard and Michael Dinnsen, have never made a public statement about the case. In the lawsuit filed by attorney Craig R. Karpe, the family claims the two officers fired at Bailey’s stopped vehicle “without prior verbal command or warning.” The lawsuit also claims that Bailey never tried to exit his vehicle, face the officers or threaten them after he crashed his car. There were also no weapons in his vehicle.  

​

On November 6th, 2017, special prosecutor decided not to file charges against IMPD officers Carlton Howard and Michal Dinnsen, responsible the fatal shooting of Aaron Bailey in June. In a written statement released Tuesday afternoon, St. Joseph County Prosecutor Kenneth P. Cotter, who was assigned as special prosecutor in the case, said there was “insufficient evidence to refute either the officer’s claim of subjective fear or the objective reasonableness of that fear.” “This decision was not taken lightly and was made after extensively reviewing the investigatory materials, re-interviewing witnesses and assigning an investigator within [Cotter’s] office to conduct a supplemental investigation,” Cotter’s office said in the statement. 

 

What can we do? 

​

1. Contact St. Joseph County Prosecutor Kenneth P. Cotter, demanding the case be re-opened as justice was not served:

574-235-9544  

​

2. Sign the petition to reopen Aaron Bailey's case:

​

​

3. Contact the Indianapolis police department demanding IMPD officers Carlton Howard and Michal Dinnsen are fired. 

(317) 327-3811