On Thursday, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Dept. Officer Marlin Sechrist was awarded the department’s Medal Of Valor.
Sechrist is a 1996 Warsaw Community High School graduate and a 2000 Grace College graduate from Leesburg. He is a former Grace College security officer.
According to a press release from IMPD, on March 22, at approximately 9:42 p.m., officers from Northwest District responded to the report of a robbery in progress at the Family Dollar, 5435 W. 34th St. Officer Philip Short and Sechrist were first to arrive and observed at least two masked individuals with guns pointed at employees inside of the business. Short immediately relayed information and began coordinating responding officers to set a perimeter on the business.
Officers Anthony Carter, Michael Kavanaugh and Sechrist took perimeter positions at the front of the business along with Short. The officers maintained visual of the suspects and waited for them to exit the store as to not create a potential hostage situation by making entry.
As the suspects exited, they were confronted by the officers who ordered them to drop their weapons and submit to lawful arrest. The suspects failed to comply and instead turned toward officers with weapons in hand, the release states. Officers Carter, Kavanaugh and Sechrist all fired shots at the suspects, who were both struck.
The officers then took both suspects into custody and began rendering medical aid while awaiting the arrival of EMS units. Both suspects were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and arrested on charges of robbery and criminal confinement. One of the suspects was later found to additionally have an open warrant for robbery.
The release states, “The action of these four officers during this incident was exemplar. The officers wisely set a perimeter and monitored the suspects knowing that entering the business would likely result in a hostage situation. Only after the suspects had exited the business and the employees were safe, did the officers engage. When the armed suspects failed to comply and threatened the officers, they took the appropriate actions to bring the encounter to a successful conclusion and apprehend the two violent offenders.
“For their above actions, which ensured the safety of citizens while putting themselves in harm's way confronting armed criminals, Officers Anthony Carter, Michael Kavanaugh, Marlin Sechrist and Philip Short are awarded the Medal of Valor.”
(Story By The Times Union)
