INDIANAPOLIS — An Indy man is in custody after allegedly ramming his vehicle into an IMPD patrol car during a traffic stop on the city’s near southeast side Friday night.
According to a police report obtained by FOX59/CBS4, George Leachman, 43, was stopped by officers around 7 p.m. Friday at the intersection of E. Naomi Street and Linden Street.
Police told FOX/CBS4 that Leachman rammed a truck into an officer’s vehicle during the traffic stop.
As a result, Leachman has been preliminarily charged with battery of a public safety official (level 5 felony), criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon (level 6 felony) and resisting law enforcement (level 5 felony). Leachman faces additional charges for leaving the scene of a vehicle accident and operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license.
According to previous reports, Leachman was involved in another altercation with police on Feb. 25 that led to him ramming into at least three patrol cars with a Ford F250 while trying to flee from officers during a pursuit near Arlington Avenue and E. 19th Street. Police had originally flagged Leachman down after confirming that the pickup truck he was operating at the time was reported as stolen out of Allen County.
Three IMPD officers were injured as a result of the pursuit and the subsequent damage to their vehicles. IMPD released bodycam footage of the incident that can be viewed at FOX59/CBS4 here.
The pursuit ultimately concluded when two officers fired multiple rounds at Leachman while he was still in the driver’s seat of the pickup truck.
He was charged with multiple felonies in the February incident, including battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer and resisting law enforcement.
Friday night’s alleged incident marks at least the fourth time that Leachman has rammed into an officer’s vehicle, according to IMPD.
The first reported instance dates back to 2017 when three IMPD vehicles were rammed as officers responded to reports of a stolen pickup truck. Leachman received three years of community correction for that incident.
A year later, he was again accused of colliding with a police car after reportedly driving a stolen pickup.
Court records show that Leachman was out on bond during this most recent incident after he bonded out this past April. His bond was previously set at $40,000.
Leachman has a change of plea hearing scheduled in Marion Superior Court 28 later this month on Nov. 21.
