Richard Pettry

Richard Eugene Pettry Jr. was a 42-year-old White male from Indianapolis who worked as a contractor and was a beloved father and grandfather. His cousin, Dena Pettry, described him as "everybody's best friend" and said he came from a very close family. Another person remembered how much he loved his grandson. His cousin also recalled his protective nature, saying, "God, he was invincible."

On the morning of Saturday, January 12, 2019, Pettry was shot on the city’s near-southeast side, in the 1500 block of East Minnesota Street. The shooting occurred just before 9:30 a.m. Emergency responders took him to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department launched a homicide investigation. According to reports, the fatal encounter may have stemmed from a dispute that began a month earlier, when Pettry had gone to help a family member and was allegedly confronted by a man with a gun.

Investigators identified 26-year-old Derrick Warner as the suspect, and several witnesses reportedly named him as the shooter. On January 24, 2019, around 7 a.m., officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Warner was a passenger. The car fled, leading police on a brief chase before stopping, at which point Warner jumped out and ran. The ensuing manhunt involved K-9 and SWAT officers and prompted a precautionary lockdown at two nearby schools. Warner was eventually found hiding in a house on the southeast side and was taken into custody.

Derrick Warner was subsequently charged with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. On September 14, 2020, he entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter as well as the firearm charge. On October 2, 2020, a judge sentenced Warner to 8,577 days for manslaughter and 2,198 days for the firearm possession. After applying credit for time served, his sentence amounted to approximately 26 years in prison, bringing the case to a close as of October 2020.