Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Hovey Street All About Drugs

Judging from the probable cause affidavit Indianapolis police filed in connection with last week's quadruple homicide on Hovey Street, a few hundred pounds of pot just acquired by the home's owner, James "Dick" Walker, was what led the four men in police custody to the home on the night of the killings. They were hoping for an easy robbery with only the two women and children in the home. When they arrived and found the pot missing, one of the intruders, Ronald "Action" Davis, allegedly fired 10 shots at the women as they clutched their babies in their arms on the floor in the bedroom.

I was somewhat surprised some of the names in the probable cause affidavit weren't redacted before it was released to the public. I hope no person's life is in danger because of the disclosures. At one point in the affidavit, it discusses the men being at an apartment building at 16th & Park. Twelve blocks away is a little too close to home for me. The four accused are scheduled to be in court Wednesday morning.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the confusion over the correct address is probably responsible for the men escaping from the crime scene. Police were dispatched at 10:31 p.m. on that Monday night and were near the scene at 10:34 p.m., but they didn't located the correct address until 10:56 p.m., fifteen minutes later. As the police first responded, the black SUV, which served as the get-away vehicle, was backing north a few blocks north of the house, while another one of the co-conspirators walked passed police on the street a few houses away.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reading that, I'm left with just one thought: senseless.

Anonymous said...

What would be the point in redacting selected parts of what is otherwise a public record? Any person that wanted to could walk in off the street and ask the court staff to see this probable cause affidavit.

Anonymous said...

Right but not many people are going to seek out the affidavit from the record. Irresponsible in such a volatile case.

Anonymous said...

AI, you are unlikely to be in the Section 8 projects around 16th and Park. I wouldn't get too worried.

While this situation is senseless, it is not random. I've heard police express the sentiment that the hoodlums are mostly killing each other. Even the women involved put themselves and their babies in harm's way by holding down the fort at the drug house.

Their deaths were the unfortunate consequence of so many bad choices, and the little ones paid the price.

Anonymous said...

I'm curious what the actual charges will be after reading this. Preliminary reports said murder charges against Hobson & Davis (?), but by the affidavit it seems like Hobson was the least involved since he wasn't in on the planning, and never went into the house.

AI, I wouldn't worry too much. All of us living downtown- Old Northside, St Joe, Lockerbie, should be aware there are public housing units nearby like these right next to the 16th St Kroger, where there are no doubt plenty of people not involved in criminal activity, but likely some who are the way things work in society. There are also, of course, multiple work release facilities right downtown as well, where some might escape as Coleman did.

The threat is minimal to people not involved in criminal activity who don't have cash, guns, or drugs in the home. This is what they want to steal in a major robbery, because this is the most valuable and least likely to be reported by the "victims". The biggest concern the rest of us should have is theft from vehicles. Those are crimes of opportunity that are mostly a hassle though a violation of our person and rights, but can be largely prevented by never leaving a phone, blackberry, GPS, laptop or large purse or bag in a vehicle parked outside. Most criminals are not going to risk a residential break in and/or robbery unless they know there is something there the can get away wiht mostly unnoticed. We all have some minimal risk of random crime, but not so much.

Anonymous said...

and also, it should go without saying, but be careful when walking alone and/or at night. It is true there is a risk of mugging & theft of a purse of wallet whether you're near downtown or in a suburban parking lot. Another crime of opportunity. Be aware of your surroundings.

Anonymous said...

I believe the title of this particular blog should be "Hovey Street All About Robbery." I can't help but think that the same thing would have occurred if the criminals knew, lets say, $10,000 in cash was setting in the house in lieu of some pot. In either case, a senseless act of homicide and robbery.

Anonymous said...

4:59, a house on Hovey Street would only have $5-10K in cash inside it because of illegal activity.

How many houses on Washington Boulevard or in Williams Creek or on Pleasant Run Parkway do you think have $5-10K inside them?

It's about the drugs.

You know, I'd probably be (and vote) Libertarian if y'all could ever get off your "legalize drugs" hangup. I'd wager that most folks in the middle ground are fiscally conservative and socially liberal (i.e. pro-choice and pro-balanced budgets, stay out of my wallet AND my bedroom) but not pro-drugs.