On April 25, 2022, Herman Whitfield, III was experiencing a mental health crisis at his parents' home.  His mother, attorney Gladys Whitfield, called for an ambulance, but six Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers showed up instead.

Without any threat or provocation, IMPD officers electrocuted Herman III with a taser, tackled and double handcuffed him in the prone position, ignored his cries that he could not breathe, and suffocated him face down for approximately 5 minutes until he was motionless on his parents' living room floor.

After killing Herman III, IMPD further victimized his parents.  IMPD officers ordered Herman's parents not to leave their home to follow the ambulance to the hospital to see about their son.  Officers searched their home within minutes of killing Herman III and without a warrant.  And, IMPD officers threatened to arrest Herman’s mother simply because she objected to a search of their home.

In July 2022, the coroner’s office released its determination that the IMPD killed Herman III.

Indianapolis Mayor Joseph Hogsett (D) and IMPD repeatedly refused the family's and community's calls to release the complete and unedited body camera footage and fought the family's efforts to obtain the footage by a court order.

In January 2023, a federal court ordered Mayor Hogsett and IMPD to release the full and unedited body footage from the officers who killed Herman III.

In April 2023, the local prosecutor announced grand jury indictments against two officers - Steven Sanchez and Adam Ahmad - of the six IMPD officers who killed Herman III.  Criminal trials are set to begin in January 2024.

Mayor Hogsett and IMPD have NOT FIRED ANY OF THE SIX OFFICERS who killed Herman III - including the two officers who are currently facing criminal charges for killing Herman Whitfield III.