Brandon Johnson, a teenager whose beating at the hands of Indianapolis police officers spurred protests by community groups and aggravated racial tensions, won’t face a felony charge after all.
A felony criminal gang activity charge against the 16-year-old has been dropped.
Johnson still faces a misdemeanor charge of dangerous possession of a firearm, which his attorney said was based on a picture on Johnson’s cell phone.
Johnson and two of his older brothers were arrested last week.
Last year, Johnson suffered facial cuts and bruising from officers, who said they were trying to stop him from protesting the arrest of one of his brothers. A civilian merit board cleared officers involved in the arrest, but another panel found they used excessive force.
Mother faces murder case
Bei Bei Shuai, 34, who admitted eating rat poison near the end of her pregnancy is facing a murder charge in the death of her baby.
Shuai was arrested this week and faces charges of murder and attempted feticide.
Shuai gave birth to a daughter, Angel, in Anderson on Dec. 31. The child died Jan. 3 from bleeding in her brain, which officials said was caused by chemicals in the poison.
According to court documents, Shuai had confessed to a friend that she had eaten rat poison at her Indianapolis apartment in an effort to kill herself because her boyfriend left her.
