Three teens were arrested on felony charges and referred to juvenile probation following a fight Tuesday, according to a statement Wednesday from Bloomington Police Captain Ryan Pedigo.
Officers responded around 9:25 p.m. to the area of W. 13th and N. Illinois Street due to a report of a fight in progress, according to Pedigo’s statement. The call indicated around 10 people were fighting but had begun to separate.
Police had responded to the area around 8:10 p.m. the same evening to a report of people arguing and displaying guns, but the group dispersed when officers arrived, Pedigo wrote.
After officers arrived the second time, a neighborhood security guard told them a group had gathered near Illinois Street and Illinois Court and begun fighting. He pointed out two males — a 13-year-old and 14-year-old — who were involved in the fight, including one who possessed what the guard believed was a handgun. Police later determined the gun was an Orbeez brand toy replica of a Glock handgun.
When officers approached the two males, they began to walk away, telling police they were juveniles. Officers advised them they were not free to leave, as they needed to talk to them about the fight, and the police needed the juveniles’ parents present to interview them.
When the 13-year-old did not comply, officers attempted to detain him, Pedigo wrote. He physically resisted, and he and the officers fell to the ground. The 13-year-old refused to allow officers to restrain his hands. The teen continually attempted to reach into his waistband.
At the same time, the 14-year-old rushed toward officers detaining the 13-year-old but was stopped by other officers. He resisted them and attempted to grab the officer detaining the 13-year-old before being handcuffed.
Once officers restrained the 13-year-old, he refused to walk to a police car and was carried by officers, according to Pedigo. They then discovered the teen’s toy gun in his waistband.
Two officers were injured during the arrests, according to Pedigo.
In the car, the 13-year-old told officers he had shortness of breath, so police called for an ambulance and pulled over near Scout’s Honor, a dog day care, at the intersection of 11th and Fairview Streets. Officers unzipped the 13-year-old's hooded sweatshirt when he said he was hot.
As the ambulance crew inspected him, the 13-year-old's family members arrived and began “screaming” at the officers, according to Pedigo.
The 13-year-old then shoved out of the police car and had to be restrained again. At this time, a 14-year-old female pushed past officers to get to him.
She made a statement which police understood as meaning she was going to stab someone, Pedigo wrote.
The female teen was within 10 feet of the officers restraining the 13-year-old and didn’t step back when asked, so police attempted to restrain her wrists. She attempted to pull her arms away, but officers eventually placed her into handcuffs.
In Indiana, it is illegal to encroach within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer after the officer orders them to stop. The law went into effect last year.
Pedigo also wrote officers spoke to a community member near the original disturbance who said the two male teens had threatened to kill her before police arrived, which was corroborated by the security guard.
According to Pedigo’s statement, the 13-year-old male was arrested on two counts of intimidation and resisting law enforcement resulting in injury, all level six felonies.
The 14-year-old male was arrested on a resisting law enforcement resulting in injury charge, a level six felony.
The 14-year-old female was arrested for intimidation, a level six felony, unlawful encroachment, a class C misdemeanor and resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor.
All three were referred to juvenile probation after BPD attempted to interview them, Pedigo wrote.
Multiple videos of the encounter were posted on X by the page @IUonStrike, which erroneously states one of the teens was 12 years old. One depicts three BPD officers restraining one of the male teens, face down. The other video depicts bystanders talking to officers as the 13-year-old male yells repeatedly, “I can’t breath.”
Another video, uploaded to Imgur and shared on Reddit, depicts what appears to be the family of some of the teens arguing with police. One officer gives a person who identifies herself as the mother of the 14-year-old female her cell phone.
At one point, one of the women says, “Nobody’s doing anything,” and the officer replies, “We’re waiting for you to leave. You’re too angry.” She replies, “I am not angry, I am scared because I know how white cops kill Black kids.”
Care Not Cages, a local advocacy group opposed to the creation of a new jail in Bloomington, released a statement Wednesday on Instagram condemning the police action shown in the video.
The statement said first-hand accounts indicate police hit one of the male teens, and that seven police cars and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene. The Indiana Daily Student could not immediately verify these claims.
“Care Not Cages decries the police violence inflicted on a child,” part of the statement read. “We call out the racism that makes so many Americans, especially police, unable to see Black children as children. We denounce the obvious racism in the police inability to read a Black woman as anything but ‘angry.’”
The statement also claims emergency first responders told bystanders recording the incident to “move along.” The IDS could not immediately verify this claim.
The statement added the arrest of the teens, at least one of whom is Black, is a “reminder of local racism and police violence” ahead of Fourth of July celebrations in Bloomington.
“This is an unconscionable event for a city that prides itself on a civil, community-oriented police force,” the statement read.
The IDS is seeking more details on the incident.
This story may be updated.
