Police: Officers misidentified teen in attempted murder case; new suspect in custody

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — An Evansville teen who was arrested for shooting at a police officer based primarily on the clothing he wore has been freed after surveillance footage showed conclusively that his jacket did not match the clothing worn by the gunman.

A judge dismissed the case against 17-year-old Denali Thomas Wednesday morning. Hours earlier, an EPD detective notified prosecutors the evidence actually showed Thomas was innocent, and not that he was the shooter.

Thomas had been charged with one count of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony, in connection with a May 22 shooting. He was released from jail Wednesday morning.

According to EPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Anna Gray, 32-year-old Randall Hood has been identified as the actual suspected shooter. Hood was in the vicinity of the May 22 shooting and was arrested that night on drug charges, police said.

Detectives notified Hood of their intention to charge him with attempted murder Wednesday afternoon, and he remains confined at the Vanderburgh County jail.

Previously: 17-year-old arrested after reportedly exchanging fire with Evansville police outside bar

The incident that led to Thomas' arrest occurred outside the Corner Pocket Bar on North Fulton Avenue just after 2 a.m. May 22, according to police reports. Police engaged in a foot chase with an armed suspect who opened fire on officers and arrested Thomas at the conclusion of the pursuit.

Gray said the primary piece of evidence against Thomas, who is Black, was that his clothing matched the description of the suspect, and he was in the vicinity of the shooting.

"Basically, he was in the area and (matched) officers' description," Gray said. "That gave them probable cause to arrest him."

Two firearms were recovered in the vicinity of the shooting, but Thomas was unarmed at the time of his arrest. DNA and fingerprint analyses of the firearms are ongoing, Gray said.

According to Thomas' attorney, Barry Blackard, the 17-year-old was steadfast in maintaining his innocence.

"I'm relieved that has now been confirmed, and he can move on with the rest of his life," Blackard said.

What police say happened

The case against Thomas fell apart for prosecutors when an EPD detective reviewed surveillance footage that clearly showed the shooter's jacket had an "emblem" printed on it, Gray said. Thomas' jacket had no such emblem.

It's unclear why it took so long for detectives to notice the discrepancy between the shooter's clothing and Thomas' clothing.

The detective noticed the emblem around 4 a.m. Wednesday morning and promptly notified the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office that Thomas no longer matched the description of the shooter.

"Our worst fear is to put the wrong person in jail," Gray said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. "The detective said, 'This isn't the suspect and we need to get him out of there.'"

The original description of the shooter, which is listed in police reports, said the suspect was a Black male wearing a "dark, hooded sweatshirt with the hood up over his head and tied tightly around his face."

Thomas was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, according to Gray, but the actual shooter's jacket turned out to be a dark-blue color and had a visibly different design.

The original description that gave police probable cause to arrest Thomas came from two off-duty EPD officers who were providing security at the Corner Pocket Bar on May 22, police reports show.

Shortly after 2 a.m., the officers heard gunshots outside the bar and approached a man brandishing a handgun, but the suspect ran away when police announced their presence.

Gray said the officers gave chase, and the suspect eventually turned and opened fire. Police returned fire, but no one was injured. The officers relayed their description of the suspect over the radio, according to Gray.

Following the gunfight, the off-duty officers briefly lost sight of the suspect before another officer spotted who they believed to be the shooter on North Fourth Avenue, Gray said.

The officers then detained three people, including Thomas and the person who is now accused of being the shooter.

Off-duty EPD officers are not required to keep their body cameras on even if they are providing security services, Gray said. During the foot pursuit and officer-involved shooting, neither officer had their body camera running.

At a news conference Wednesday, Gray acknowledged the case could setback the community's trust in EPD.

"I would hope that we could work to gain that trust back," Gray said. "That's something we're gonna have to move forward with and work with them on."

Blackard said he is pleased the truth came out, but noted that misidentifications happen more than people think.

"It's unfortunate on many levels that an innocent young man was not only accused of such a serious offense, but held in custody for several weeks for a crime that he didn't commit," Blackard said.

Houston Harwood can be contacted at walter.harwood@courierpress.com with story ideas and questions. Twitter: @houston_whh

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Attempted murder charge dropped against Evansville teen Denali Thomas