Widow sues Indianapolis police after chase kills husband

INDIANAPOLIS — The widow of a man who died after colliding with a driver involved in a high-speed chase with Indianapolis police is suing law enforcement.

James Collins, 83, was in an Uber on April 25, 2024, when the driver, who was being chased by police in Indianapolis, “violently crashed” into the rideshare car.

Police were investigating calls about a shooting Bertha Ross Park near Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery around 7:30 p.m., when they saw the suspected shooter get into a Jeep that left the scene, leading to a foot chase. The pursuit ended in a crash about 4 miles north Carvel Avenue and 49^thousand St.

Collins died of his injuries on June 15 after a lengthy hospitalization. According to him obituaryhe worked as the head of the psychology department in University of Missouri-Kansas City years, as well as the head of the department of social work. He also volunteered frequently with Habitat for Humanity. She is survived by a daughter and four grandchildren.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Marion Superior Court, Collins’ widow alleges the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was negligent by continuing the pursuit in a “highly populated area” that led to the “foreseeable result” of the crash.

Among the lawsuit’s allegations is that the department failed to properly train officers on when to initiate and end pursuits, when to weigh the urgency of apprehension of suspects against the danger to the public, and to pursue pursuits “when it was clear that the pursuit itself was causing the suspect driver to accelerate and accelerate.” in a dangerous way.”

“Collins … has suffered economic damages, medical, funeral and burial expenses, and will continue to suffer such damages in the future,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also names the city of Indianapolis, saying the public agency is liable for any negligence by its police department.

An Indianapolis police spokesman declined to comment on the complaint, citing pending litigation.

On January 1, 2023, the police agency’s vehicle pursuit policy went into effect forced to endure changes under a new state law that requires all law enforcement agencies in the state to adopt the same standards for pursuits.

Statewide policy requires officers to consider the following before engaging in a pursuit:

Violation of the suspect
Danger to the population
Time of day
Acquaintance of the officer with the environment
Danger if the criminal is not apprehended
Traffic conditions

Collins is asking for a jury trial for damages and legal costs in his lawsuit.

The driver of the vehicle that crashed into Collins’ Uber was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including reckless homicide and resisting law enforcement. Her criminal case remains pending.

She is also the subject of a lawsuit filed by an Uber driver who claims her actions resulted in “serious and irreversible bodily harm.”

The police also detained the suspected shooter, a minor.

Contact IndyStar reporter Sarah Nelson at [email protected]