INDIANAPOLIS – The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office charged Mylik Hill with attempted murder, among other charges, for his involvement in a shootout with an Indianapolis police officer in Fountain Square on February 27.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the charges at a Tuesday morning press conference. Hill is facing two counts of attempted murder, six counts of resisting law enforcement, one count of criminal mischief and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. The two counts of attempted murder could range between 20-40 years in prison, said Mears.
IMPD Officer Thomas Mangan was shot in the throat, which has caused significant damage to his Adam’s apple and voice box, according to police. He is communicating through writing and eating through a feeding tube.
“[Thomas Mangan] was responding to the scene trying help. He was responding to the scene trying to make his community a better place and a safer place and this case took a tragic turn of events,” said Mears.
Officer Mangan has a long road to recovery, but officials who spoke at Tuesday’s press conference said he was in good spirits.
“The continuous work of detectives, prosecutors, and others to bring this case to this point is much appreciated,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “These charges are an important step in obtaining justice. Today though, I want to focus on Officer Mangan. The courage and commitment he displayed during this incident was nothing short of remarkable. But the work is not done yet. Officer Mangan has a long road ahead of him and I ask the community for their continued prayers to look after him and his family,” he added.
The press conference called by Mears Tuesday at 11 a.m. was taken over by Fraternal Order of Police Pres. Rick Snyder, demanding to know why Hill was out on bail.
Hill was on parole and had been arrested at the end of January and released Feb. 1.
“In this particular case it’s an issue of timing. The bond was posted before we had an opportunity to make a decision or weigh in on a charging decision,” said Mears. Hill’s bond was revoked Tuesday.
Snyder seemed to feel the answer was insufficient, first yelling to Mears to answer his questions. Mears responded with “I already did”.
“This officer is fighting for his recovery and there’s questions as to whether or not this could have been prevented,” said Snyder, turning toward reporters. “All we want is answers.”
