Beech Grove officer cut, suspect fatally shot after child custody dispute early Wednesday

Update: This article was updated May 2, 2024 with information about the person killed and the officer involved.

BEECH GROVE — What started as a child custody dispute ended with a Beech Grove police officer fatally shooting a man, who investigators say cut a policeman with a knife, according to officials.

Just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Beech Grove officers responded to the 4400 block of Willow Bend Drive in the Willow Glen apartment complex for a welfare check. Dispatchers were told of an ongoing child custody dispute and threats of violence, according to the Indiana State Police.

Upon arrival, officers encountered a man armed with a knife in the parking lot of the apartments. He aggressively approached the officers, who tried to de-escalate the situation by backing away and communicating with the man.

The man ignored officers requests for him to drop the knife and stop walking toward them. Three officers were "physically engaged" by the man, who then cut Lt. Jeff Bruner in the face with the knife, according to ISP.

Bruner, a 19-year veteran of the department, shot the man, later identified as 26-year-old Joshua Richard of Noblesville. Bruner was rushed to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

State police are investigating the shooting. The three Beech Grove officers involved are on administrative leave, per procedure. All were wearing body cameras that were activated, said ISP Sgt. John Perrine said.

The shooting occurred roughly half a mile north from a Perry Township elementary school. A spokesperson for the district said the shooting did not prompt a lockdown.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Beech Grove officer cut, suspect fatally shot after child custody dispute