INDIANAPOLIS — A widow filed a lawsuit against the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department after her husband was killed when a suspect, being chased by police cruisers, collided into an Uber that her husband was a passenger in.
The lawsuit stems from a police chase and shooting investigation from April 25. According to past reports, officers heard gunshots at Bertha Ross Park and found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound.
Police officers ended up chasing after a potential suspect who was seen fleeing the area in a car. A police chase ensued that led to a collision near 46th Street and Carvel Avenue.
The suspect, identified as Kevianna Vinson, was driving a blue 2014 Jeep Patriot. Vinson collided with a 2013 Toyota Prius while fleeing from police.
The lawsuit states that James F. Collins was a passenger in the Prius and an innocent bystander caught in the police pursuit.
Collins was injured in the crash. He died two months later, on June 14.
The lawsuit, filed by Collins’ widow, accuses police as being negligent for chasing the suspect at “high speeds” through a “densely populated area” which resulted “in the predictable outcome of a violent crash and fatal injuries to an innocent person.”
Court records show that Vinson wasn’t arrested until after Collins’ death. Charges, including leaving the scene of a deadly accident and reckless homicide, were filed against Vinson on June 28. That same day a warrant was issued.
None of Vinson’s charges relate to the park shooting.
Vinson wasn’t arrested until Aug. 4 but posted bond and was put on home detention. Vinson’s jury trial is scheduled for Dec. 3.
IMPD does not comment on active lawsuits.
