Wiping away tears with their voices cracking, a series of Indianapolis police officers Tuesday testified how they tried to save Officer Breann Leath after she’d been shot and arrested the suspect at the scene.
“My job was the provide cover to other officers,” said Officer Daniel Hiser. “She’d been shot, she wasn’t breathing and she wasn’t moving,”
The testimony came on the second day of the murder trial of Elliahs Dorsey at the Marion County Community Justice Center, where officers described the frantic moments after Leath was fatally shot on April 9, 2020.
Day 1 testimony: Officer Leath’s partner recalls day she was killed
Dorsey, 31, is charged with murder and the attempted murder of three other officers. He is also charged with the attempted murder and criminal confinement of his girlfriend, who called 911 from an apartment they shared at 1803 Edinburge Square on the city’s east side.
Dorsey’s lawyers say he suffered paranoid delusions that someone was out to kill him. He has been declared mentally ill but can stand trial under Indiana law. Defense attorneys are seeking a verdict of not being responsible by reason of insanity.
Prosecutors said Dorsey fired eight shots from a high-powered pistol through the apartment door about six seconds after police knocked on it with a flashlight.
Two bullets struck Leath and she fell in the hallway. The other officers scrambled down the stairs of the 3-story building to call for backup. Within five minutes several officers arrived and they formed a straight line, led by Hiser, who had a rifle, to go back in the building, retrieve Leath and capture Dorsey.
“We still didn’t know where the threat was so I was looking for open doors above us,” said Sgt. Justin Gray, who was behind Hiser.
Hiser turned into the open doorway of Apartment 10 and saw Dorsey kneeling on the floor of the front room.
A gun was on the floor about six feet away.
“I didn’t know it was a cop,” Dorsey screamed, according to Hiser’s testimony. He begged police not to kill him but said he feared someone was coming to kill him, according to testimony and audio from the arrest.
Hiser put Dorsey in handcuffs and placed him face down on the ground. Gray checked the rest of the apartment.
“I did a protective sweep to make sure there was no one else inside who could ambush us from another room,” Gray said.
Det. Garth Schwomeyer said Dorsey was agitated at the scene, “thrashing” around for 20 to 30 minutes until officers put ankle chains on him. He said police officers carried him out of the buildings so he did not disturb the rest of the crime scene.
Outside the apartment officers and paramedics tried to revive Leath.
“I looked for secondary wounds,” said Officer Charles Ward, wiping tears away. “She had a gunshot wound to her head possibly two, She wasn’t moving.”
Testimony will continue on Wednesday.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418 or email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Facebook and X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Breann Leath shooting: Day 2 of trial of man accused of killing officer
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
