BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Three Bloomington teens were arrested after a neighborhood fight in northwest Bloomington led to an altercation with police.
According to a news release from the Bloomington Police Department, the three teens were arrested and referred to juvenile probation on the following charges:
- 13-year-old male: Two counts of intimidation, a Level 6 felony; One count of resisting law enforcement resulting in injury, a Level 6 felony
- 14-year-old male: One count of resisting law enforcement resulting in injury, a Level 6 felony.
- 14-year-old female: One count of intimidation, a Level 6 felony; a misdemeanor count of unlawful encroachment; a misdemeanor count of resisting law enforcement.
After the reported fight on Tuesday evening, the X account @IUOnStrike posted two videos on the social media platform previously known as Twitter of the alleged incident.
The posts, made Wednesday morning, claim Bloomington police “violently arrested” the child and that officers “chaotically (rushed)” the scene.” The posts also claim one of the teens said during the arrest they couldn’t breathe.
At around 9:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Bloomington police officers responded to the area of W 13th St. and N Illinois St. in reference to a fight in progress. This came after officers responded to the same area at around 8:10 p.m. on Tuesday after a number of people were arguing with another group, who were reportedly displaying guns. The department said when they arrived, the group had “dispersed and officers did not locate an active disturbance.”
When officers arrived at the scene for the second time, a security guard in the neighborhood flagged an officer down, stating that the group gathered near the area of Illinois St. and Illinois Ct. after police first left the area. That group began to fight and the guard reportedly pointed out to the Bloomington officers two teens, claiming they had both been involved and one had displayed a handgun.
When officers approached the two teens, the release said they initially attempted to walk away. Bloomington police said they needed to speak with them about the fight and “they were not free to leave due to needing (their) parents to be present to interview them.”
Officers allege that one of the teens, later identified as the 13-year-old, refused to comply with the officers and began “physically resisting” as officers were attempting to detain him. The release said both the officers and the teen fell to the ground during the struggle.
The release said the 13-year-old attempted to reach toward his waistband and “refused to give officers his hands so that he could be restrained.” Bloomington police allege when this was occurring, the other teen, identified as the 14-year-old male, reportedly rushed toward the officers attempting to detain the 13-year-old.
Officials said the 14-year-old male was grabbed by other officers. The release said the 14-year-old male began resisting the other officers and attempted to grab the officer who was detaining the 13-year-old. The 14-year-old male was then placed into handcuffs without further incident.
The release said the 13-year-old was eventually placed into handcuffs by officers, who eventually had to be carried to a nearby patrol car. After searching the teen, officers found an item which initially looked like a Glock handgun in his waistband but was later determined to be an Orbeez brand toy replica.
Two Bloomington police officers were injured while attempting to detain the 13-year-old and the 14-year-old male, according to the release.
As the two teens were being transported to the police department, the release said the 13-year-old began to complain of being short on breath. An ambulance was called and the patrol car pulled into a parking lot near the intersection of 11th St. and Fairview St.
The release said while the teen was being assessed by first responders in the squad car, a vehicle with “several of the (teen’s) family members arrived on scene and began screaming at officers.” The 13-year-old then “shoved himself out of the rear seat of the squad car and had to be restrained by officers again.”
As the 13-year-old was being restrained, a 14-year-old female reportedly pushed past officers to get to the 13-year-old. The 14-year-old female then made a statement that “the officer took to mean that she was going to stab someone” and reportedly refused to obey commands to step back.
Officers then attempted to restrain the female and she attempted to pull her arms away. After the female was handcuffed, she was transported to the Bloomington Police Department.
During their investigation, officers said in the release a community member near the scene of the original fight reported the 13-year-old and the 14-year-old male had “threatened to kill her” before officers arrived. Officials said the threat was reportedly corroborated by the security guard.
The release said the teens were referred to juvenile probation after police attempted to interview them.
