“We believe strongly in the constitutional rights of citizens to assemble and peaceably protest their government. Our Officers are committed to protecting all persons as they choose to exercise those rights. 

Moreover, once unlawful actions take place, we are required to intervene and prevent additional acts of violence that threaten life and property. 

Today’s announcement by the Mayor of Indianapolis to issue an Executive Order mandating a citywide curfew is an important step given the escalating series of violence and property destruction that occurred Friday and Saturday night. 

Yet to enforce such an order, the full contingent of all necessary resources must be made available now.

We are grateful to the Governor and Superintendent of the State Police for taking decisive actions to make additional resources available.

Our Mayor must reassure our local business owners, city residents, lawful protesters and the officers who protect them.

Otherwise, Officers will again only be able to respond to violence - not prevent it.

Our City has now endured back to back nights of multiple hours of sustained attack, destruction and now death.

For hours, officers and their vehicles were consistently being fired upon and assaulted with rocks, bricks and bottles while people were being actively shot and killed and while private and public property was being destroyed. 

Officers were simply overrun and could not respond as emergency call after call was being dispatched for looting, fires, shootings and deaths.

Last night's breakdown of civility was compounded by a vacuum of political leadership in failing to provide immediately needed resources that unnecessarily threatened the safety of innocent bystanders and the officers who were attempting to prevent the loss of life and property within our community. 

The entire footprint of the mile square was damaged beyond recognition and our collective sense of law and order was denigrated as the vibrant convention, sporting, and business hub of our City (where thousands live, work and recreate) was attacked and destroyed. 

From Day 1: Mayor Hogsett has made clear, he is the Director of Public Safety and “the buck stops” with him. We agree. 

Our Police Department, our Command Staff and our Officers are more than capable to protect and serve our City, but we must have the executive level leadership, direction, additional resources and support to do so. 

The past two nights and the aftermath revealed in the light of day are a clear demonstration of the need to provide timely additional resources in the midst of crisis. 

Our residents and our officers are stuck in the middle of this violence. Unless, both demand better we will not be able to restore law, order and peace for all of us."

With regards to threats against officers, several media outlets have reported on the situation. 

Fox59

WRTV6

WIBC

Law Enforcement Today