Seven seconds.
That is how long IMPD officers fired over thirty rounds into Anthony Maclin’s rental car in the early morning hours of Dec. 31, 2022, as he slept in his grandmother’s driveway.
Maclin was hit three times.
RELATED: Two officers indicted for roles in shooting of man sleeping in grandmother’s driveway
Ten months later, after two weeks in the hospital and six surgeries, Maclin stood next to his grandmother, Vickie Driver, at a press conference inside Tabernacle Baptist Church.
“You guys do not know what I have been through; what you guys put me through that day. You know, you guys did something that just wasn’t right,” said Maclin when asked what he would tell the officers who shot him that morning.
“Thirty-five times and I get hit three in a car that’s not moving? That there shows you need more training for that, but not just that. That’s God protecting me. He has a plan for me.”
Family suing IMPD and seeking justice
The press conference came after a Marion County grand jury indicted two out of the three officers involved. Carl Chandler and Alexander Gregory have several felony charges, including aggravated battery and criminal recklessness.
Chandler and Gregory pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“Anthony was sleeping, not committing any crime, not threatening anybody, not doing anything that deserved a barrage of bullets that day,” said Stephen Wagner, Maclin’s attorney.
On that day, Driver called 911 because the rental vehicle Maclin was occupying in her driveway did not look familiar to her. She was unaware that it was her grandson who was sleeping inside.
IMPD officers Lucas Riley, Chandler and Gregory responded to the call. Upon arriving at the scene they discovered Maclin asleep in the vehicle.
Edited body camera footage captured the officers approaching the vehicle. They audibly identified a firearm in Maclin’s lap; however, this was not immediately clear on camera.
The officers attempted to unlock the vehicle doors and flashed a light into the car. They then knocked on the windows to wake Maclin.
The IMPD narrative in the edited video claims that Maclin moved his arm toward the passenger seat. This was followed by seven seconds of steady gunfire from the officers.
Following the incident, Maclin and Driver filed a lawsuit against Chandler, Gregory and Riley.
Two officers indicted
The City of Indianapolis and IMPD Chief Randal Taylor are also named as defendants in the suit.
Maclin and Driver are seeking compensation for the injuries Maclin sustained. Also, the fees he has incurred and will likely incur as litigation unfolds.
Wagner is also seeking compensation for the “severe emotional distress” suffered by Driver. She allegedly watched officers shoot and injure her grandson in her driveway.
“I don’t know any more distressful situation than being on your front porch and seeing your grandson shot when you called the police to help,” said Wagner.
They are calling on Chief Taylor to suspend the officers without pay. They recommend their termination to the Indianapolis Civilian Police Merit Board.
Driver said it tears her up every day seeing her grandson struggle.
“I was told as a community leader it would be good to speak positively of IMPD to try and bridge that gap to bring community and law enforcement together. As of December 31, I feel like they smacked me in the face big time,” said Driver.
Maclin has accumulated over $920,000 in medical expenses, according to the complaint.
The three bullets that struck him resulted in a collapsed right lung, severe liver and kidney injury, comminuted fracture to the L2 vertebral body with a bullet remaining one millimeter from the spine, right diaphragmatic injury, comminuted fracture of the humeral medial epicondyle and generalized gunshot wounds to the chest, right shoulder and left elbow.
Seven seconds
Officers on the scene failed to use de-escalation techniques and violated IMPD General Order 1.30, which requires officers to “attempt to de-escalate situations with the goal of resolving encounters without the use of force, when feasible,” according to the complaint.
The complaint claims Maclin did not pose an immediate threat to the officers. He was not committing a crime and was not being arrested.
“I’m doing a lot better thanks to God. This whole process has been nothing but Him, through my recovery, and I mean through everything. So, I just thank Him, and I move with gratitude every day because if it wasn’t for Him, they would have got me that day,” said Maclin.
The jury trials for the indicted officers are set for Dec. 18. Some of the charges the officers face carry maximum sentences of up to 16 years in prison and fines of $10,000.
Contact staff writer Jade Jackson at (317) 762-7853 or by email JadeJ@IndyRecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON
