LAFAYETTE, IN — It’s been more than a week since two Lafayette police officers were involved in a police-action shooting that killed Kenneth D. Smith, 55, of Lafayette, inside his second-story apartment at 2800 Ravenwood Court, and Lafayette police have refused several requests to release the officers’ names.
Indiana law specifically says the names of investigating officers, as well as the names of victims, are supposed to be public no later than 24 hours after the incident.
If the officers are victims of Smith’s shots toward them, their names are public record, according to Indiana law. Also, if they are investigating officers in a police call, their names are supposed to be released.
Lafayette police spokesman Sgt. Shawn Verma said Friday the officer who fired the shots was not the investigating officer.
Since May 2, the Journal & Courier has repeatedly asked Lafayette police for the names of the officers involved in the May 1 shooting.
The Journal & Courier contacted police Chief Scott Galloway on Friday asking why the police have not released the officers’ names within the 24-hour timeline prescribed by Indiana Open Records Laws. He has not yet replied.
The police department through Verma has repeatedly declined to release the officers’ names.
The department’s shooting review board met Thursday, Verma said. The department has also yet to release the findings of that board.
The Journal & Courier will publish the officers’ names and review board findings when they are released.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette police ignore requests to publicly identify officers involved in fatal shooting
Reporting by Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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