INDIANAPOLIS — A trial is scheduled to begin on Monday for two Indianapolis police officers involved in the death of a Black man following their use of a Taser and his restraint during a mental health episode at his parents’ residence.
Officers Adam Ahmad and Steven Sanchez were indicted by a grand jury in April 2023 concerning the death of Herman Whitfield III, which occurred in 2022. Both officers have been on administrative leave and are being tried together as co-defendants.
The charges filed against them include one felony count each of involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, battery resulting in severe bodily injury, battery resulting in moderate injury, as well as a misdemeanor battery charge.
The trial is anticipated to unfold over five days, with opening statements slated for Monday morning.
The indictment came after nearly a year of Whitfield’s family demanding the release of full body camera footage from the confrontation and calling for accountability for several officers involved. The footage, made public in January 2023, illustrates the final moments of Whitfield’s life amid a turbulent encounter with the police.
On April 25, 2022, Whitfield’s parents contacted authorities to report that their 39-year-old son, a talented pianist, was experiencing a mental health crisis. When the officers arrived at the family’s Indianapolis residence, they found Whitfield naked and pacing. The officers captured on body camera footage attempted to persuade him to wear clothing so he could be transported to a medical facility. However, Whitfield did not comply, choosing to evade interaction with the police and moving around the house.
In the footage, Whitfield is seen running past a dining room table before being shocked with a Taser by Sanchez, causing him to collapse. The officers are shown restraining him face down while trying to apply handcuffs. During this time, Whitfield can be heard repeating that he “can’t breathe” before ultimately losing consciousness. When the officers finally turned the handcuffed Whitfield onto his back, he was unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office has ruled Whitfield’s death a homicide, with the autopsy indicating that the cause of death was “cardiopulmonary arrest in the setting of law enforcement subdual, prone restraint, and conducted electrical weapon use.” Notably, Whitfield weighed 389 pounds, and the coroner’s office identified “morbid obesity” and “hypertensive cardiovascular disease” as contributing factors.
The officers’ attorney, John Kautzman, sought to have the charges against them dropped, claiming that the grand jury’s process was flawed and asserting that the facts presented did not constitute a legitimate offense. While a second involuntary manslaughter charge against Sanchez was dismissed, all other charges are moving forward to trial.
Kautzman indicated that the dismissed charge was specifically related to Sanchez’s use of the Taser on Whitfield. He has maintained the position that both officers acted appropriately and should not be facing criminal charges.
Currently, both Sanchez and Ahmad continue to serve in administrative roles within the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Meanwhile, Whitfield’s family has initiated a civil lawsuit against the city and six police officers, which includes Ahmad and Sanchez. The lawsuit alleges that Whitfield’s death was a result of excessive force and claims that he required mental health care rather than being subjected to unreasonable force during the incident.
The family’s suit is seeking unspecified damages and is slated for trial in July 2025 in federal court in Indianapolis.
