Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Bryan Roach speaks during a news conference, Nov. 1, 2017, in Indianapolis. The chief said the department's firearms review board will meet Friday to begin assessing whether the officers followed department policies in the death of 45-year-old Aaron Bailey. A special prosecutor announced Tuesday that the officers won't face criminal charges in the shooting. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indianapolis' police chief said Wednesday that the two officers criminally cleared in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist could appear before the department's firearms review board later this week.
Police Chief Bryan Roach said during a news conference that the board will meet Friday to begin assessing whether officers Michal Dinnsen and Carlton Howard followed department policies in the June death of 45-year-old Aaron Bailey.
A special prosecutor announced Tuesday that the officers wouldn't face criminal charges in the shooting. Authorities have said Bailey pulled over for a traffic stop on June 29, but suddenly drove off and later crashed. The officers approached Bailey's vehicle and fired. The prosecutor noted that the officers believed Bailey was reaching for a gun.
Roach said the two officers will remain on administrative duties until he receives the board's recommendation and decides whether they'll face disciplinary action. Roach didn't set a deadline for a decision, but he said he hopes the internal affairs review will be concluded quickly.
"At my insistence it doesn't make sense to me that there should be this long time frame between the time the criminal decision has been made and we as a police department make an administration decision," Roach said.
Bailey's family sued the city in September, contending that the two officers used excessive force and that Bailey posed no threat to them. Dinnsen is white and Howard is biracial.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Tuesday said he asked Roach to gather all evidence from the prosecutor's investigation and any other available evidence for an expedited internal review.
The prosecutor's report states that a female passenger in Bailey's car told investigators Bailey, who was on probation for a theft conviction, drove off because he thought he would be going to jail for a malfunction involving the GPS monitoring device he was wearing. The report states the two officers didn't know Bailey's GPS device was malfunctioning.
An autopsy found that four bullets hit Bailey in the back.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Bryan Roach speaks during a news conference, Nov. 1, 2017, in Indianapolis. The chief said the department's firearms review board will meet Friday to begin assessing whether the officers followed department policies in the death of 45-year-old Aaron Bailey. A special prosecutor announced Tuesday that the officers won't face criminal charges in the shooting. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Associated Press
Erica Bailey, left, daughter of Aaron Bailey, speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Indianapolis. Two Indianapolis police officers won't face criminal charges for the June shooting death of Aaron Bailey, who crashed his car while fleeing from a traffic stop, a special prosecutor announced Tuesday. Attorney Craig Karpe listens during the news conference. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Associated Press
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Bryan Roach speaks during a news conference, Nov. 1, 2017, in Indianapolis. The chief said the department's firearms review board will meet Friday to begin assessing whether the officers followed department policies in the death of 45-year-old Aaron Bailey. A special prosecutor announced Tuesday that the officers won't face criminal charges in the shooting. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Associated Press
About two dozen people stand in front of the City-County Building in Indianapolis, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, after the announcement that no charges would be filed against Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers Michal P. Dinnsen and Carlton J. Howard who fired their weapons at Aaron Bailey, resulting in his death on a traffic stop earlier this past summer. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
The Associated Press
Erica Bailey, left daughter of Aaron Bailey, speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Indianapolis. Two Indianapolis police officers won't face criminal charges for the June shooting death of Aaron Bailey, who crashed his car while fleeing from a traffic stop, a special prosecutor announced Tuesday. Attorney Craig Karpe listens during the news conference. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Associated Press