INDY FOP Lodge #86
5.1K posts
@IndyFOP86
Voice of Law Enforcement for Indianapolis Metro Region | Serving Over 3,000 Officers and their Families
NEW: The man accused of murdering Iryna Zarutska on a trail in Charlotte, NC has been found incompetent to stand trial. DeCarlos Brown Jr was evaluated at a local hospital and is “incapable to proceed” on state murder charges. Now, a judge will look at the findings and decide what to do next. #IrynaZarutska
The deadly incidents are among the hundreds of fatalities that occur during police chases each year. More: fox59.com/news/national-…
INDIANAPOLIS MAN FOUND GUILTY OF 14 COUNTS AGAINST HIS OWN FAMILY Franklin, IN —On March 27, 2026, a Johnson County jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Robert Francis Vanatta IV guilty on all 14 felony charges filed against him. The convictions include four counts of criminal confinement (Level 3 felonies), four counts of intimidation (Level 5 felonies), one count of strangulation (Level 6 felony), one count of domestic battery (Level 6 felony), three counts of criminal recklessness (Level 6 felonies), and one count of neglect of a dependent (Level 6 felony). The case stems from a violent incident on March 22, 2025, when officers with the Greenwood Police Department responded to a 911 call at Candlewood Suites. Upon arrival, officers located a juvenile male covered in blood after he had stabbed his stepfather, Vanatta, in what investigators determined to be an act of self-defense. Earlier that evening, the juvenile, his mother, and two siblings—ages 17, 16, and 5—had fled their Marion County home to escape the defendant. Vanatta tracked them to the hotel, prompting the family to flee once again. As the family attempted to leave in their vehicle, Vanatta pursued them down a dead-end road and rammed their car three times with his three-quarter-ton truck, forcing it into a ditch and disabling it. Armed with a firearm, he then threatened to kill the family if they did not get into his truck. After forcing them inside and driving away, the 17-year-old juvenile attacked Vanatta from the backseat, stabbing him in an effort to stop the vehicle and allow his family to escape. When the truck came to a stop, the mother and her three children fled and returned to the hotel, where they again contacted police. Vanatta is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2026, by Judge Andrew Roesener of the Johnson County Circuit Court. He faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner stated, “It is both horrifying and reprehensible that a man who should have been willing to defend his family with his very life instead became a threat to their lives. Sadly, the only thing this man has taught his sons is what a man isn’t. The terror experienced by this family during this incident is difficult to comprehend. We will be asking the Court to impose the maximum sentence in this case.” @93wibc
I just got an email back from @INDOT on the Safe Zone Program to catch speeders. From Aug. 5, 2024 – Mar. 3, 2026, $21,778,850.00 in fines have been issued, and $21,337,727.60 has been paid. Maybe @GovBraun doesn’t have to implement tolls on I-70 after all. Maybe we already have our source of funding.🧐 fox59.com/indiana-news/s…
Indy cops bust a drug dealing operation near 37th and Capitol on Wednesday afternoon. 18 people were hauled off on charges included cocaine dealing, possession of narcotics and maintaining a common nuisance. All of started with a tip from neighbors.
