On a Wednesday afternoon, February 19, 1997, a male officer, 40-year-old Colonel Robert George Black of the Rocky Ripple Town Marshal's Office, was working a private security detail at an apartment complex located at 4138 Edgemere Court in Indianapolis. Along with his colleague, Sergeant Bryan Northern, Colonel Black responded to a disturbance in the parking lot. The two officers pursued a man involved in the disturbance to an apartment.
Upon knocking and announcing their presence at the apartment door, they were met with gunfire.
Tragically, the shots were not fired by the individual they had been pursuing. Instead, a 28-year-old man who was inside the apartment and wanted on a probation violation warrant opened fire on the officers. Both Colonel Black and Sergeant Northern were struck by the gunfire. Neither officer was wearing a bullet-resistant vest at the time of the incident. They were both transported to Wishard Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Colonel Black succumbed to his injuries the following morning, on Thursday, February 20, 1997. His partner, Sergeant Northern, fought for his life for over a month before he too passed away from his wounds on March 23, 1997. The man responsible for the deaths of both officers was apprehended three days after the shooting, following a five-hour standoff during which he held a hostage. He was subsequently convicted on two counts of murder. In a death penalty case, he was ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and is currently incarcerated. Colonel Black, who had also served as a special deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Department for eight years, was survived by his wife and sister.
