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A woman is suing the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the City of Indianapolis after alleging IMPD was negligent in their pursuit of a stolen vehicle, which led to a police chase that ultimately resulted in her husband’s death.
Plaintiff Stephanie Gregory-Ramirez filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Marion Superior Court.
In the lawsuit, Gregory-Ramirez is seeking relief in an amount that will fairly compensate her for injuries and damages. She is also requesting a jury trial.
Attorneys from Wilson Kehoe Winingham LLC representing Gregory-Ramirez did not immediately respond to Indiana Lawyer’s request for comment.
An IMPD spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.
According to court documents, on Jan. 2, 2024, IMPD officers located and tried to stop a vehicle that had been reported stolen.
When the teenage driver failed to stop, IMPD initiated a pursuit southbound on Mann Road in Indianapolis.
The driver drove at high speeds down the road while IMPD followed closely behind.
Gregory-Ramirez’s husband, Julio Ramirez, was driving northbound on Mann Road when the driver of the stolen vehicle allegedly crashed into Ramirez’s vehicle.
Less than a minute after the crash, officers arrived at Ramirez’s vehicle and found him deceased.
As a result of the defendants’ alleged negligence, Gregory-Ramirez claimed her husband suffered an untimely and wrongful death, and she and the son she shared with Ramirez have suffered emotional distress both now and in the future, according to court documents.
She said IMPD was careless and negligent in improperly initiating a chase, failing to train officers as to when to initiate and when to terminate a pursuit, failing to cease the chase given the danger it posed to the public, and creating an unreasonably high risk of danger to the public.
Gregory-Ramirez sent a tort claim notice to the police department and the city in May, regarding what she claimed was the wrongful death of her husband.
She stated in the lawsuit that more than 90 days have passed since she sent her tort claim notice to IMPD and the city, and since both defendants have failed to notify her of their approval or denial of her claims, she considered those claims as being deemed denied.
The case is Stephanie Gregory-Ramirez v. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, City of Indianapolis, 49D06-2501-CT-004822.
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