In the early evening of March 5, 2014, a confrontation on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis culminated in the death of 27-year-old Andrew Sizemore. The incident unfolded when the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's SWAT team arrived at a residence in the 1600 block of State Avenue to serve a search warrant connected to suspected drug activity.
Sizemore was inside the house, which was reportedly equipped with surveillance cameras that may have alerted the occupants to the officers' approach.
As the SWAT team moved in, gunfire erupted from within the home. Four officers were struck by the gunfire, though their injuries were not life-threatening, and they were expected to recover. The officers returned fire, and in the exchange, Sizemore was fatally wounded.
Following the shootout, a search of the residence uncovered evidence of what police described as a significant drug operation. Investigators reported finding heroin, 13 firearms, and over $120,000 in cash. Five other individuals who were inside the house at the time of the raid were taken into custody. Three of these individuals were arrested for 'visiting a common nuisance,' and another was arrested on drug dealing charges. One person was detained without immediate charges specified. Friends and family of Sizemore created a small memorial for him, expressing their grief and questioning the circumstances of his death, noting that he had a minimal criminal record.
