INDIANAPOLIS -- Witnesses are providing details about a mental health crisis that led to a man being shot and killed by IMPD on Indy's north side.
Just after 2 p.m. Thursday, IMPD responded to multiple 911 calls of a man waving and pointing a gun at strangers along 38th Street and at a second nearby location on Broadway.
Multiple witnesses at that home said the man who was killed walked up their steps and began making various odd comments to people on the front porch while waving a gun around.
Because the man was a complete stranger, the people at the home called 911.
When police confronted Lemar Qualls, they claimed he pointed a gun at officers, who shot and killed the 35-year-old.
"This is a horrible ending for someone who was just simply sick," said Erin Ireland.
Erin Ireland lived with Qualls. She said IMPD and MCAT, which stands for Mobile Crisis Assistance Teams, had been called to their home several times this year.
Police reports show Qualls had been arrested three times since January for domestic incidents, but despite repeated arrests and trips to the hospital, Erin said Qualls never got the treatment he needed.
"The police have been over here so many times I bet the officer who shot him knew him," said Ireland.
The people who live at the home on Broadway confirmed Qualls appeared to be having a mental health crisis.
They said he was armed with a gun, but didn't directly threaten to harm them before police arrived.
They didn't fault the police for the shooting but did say that a window on their home was broken by police gunfire.
Police confirmed an MCAT team had been dispatched to the scene on Thursday, but the shooting took place too quickly for that crew to intervene.
Erin just wishes there were more resources to assist people with mental health issues.
"We need to do more for mental health. People aren't bad people just because they're sick. I wish there was a way to get them help because it's been like impossible," said Ireland.
No officers were hurt during the incident.
According to a release by IMPD, the officers were equipped with body-worn cameras. At least one officer had his body-worn camera activated at the time of the incident.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) responded to the scene to assist in the investigation. The IMPD Critical Incident Response Team also responded to the scene to conduct the criminal investigation.
A separate administrative investigation is being conducted by IMPD Internal Affairs. The officers who fired their guns have been placed on administrative leave as is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting investigation.
The civilian-majority Use of Force Review Board will conduct a mandatory hearing for any attempted use of deadly force against a person. This occurs after the conclusion of the criminal process.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Erika Jones at the homicide office by calling 317-327-3475. Alternatively, anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 317-262-TIPS.