An incident at Castleton Square Mall has led to the arrest of 26-year-old Lem Deonte Word, who is accused of stabbing an adult male on Wednesday. According to a social media post from the North District of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), officers responded quickly to the scene of the crime at approximately 8:58 p.m.
Upon arrival, law enforcement provided medical assistance to the victim and rapidly began gathering information on the suspect. Vigilant officers across the district spotted the suspect's vehicle within half an hour, initiating a traffic stop near the 3900 block of N Keystone Avenue. Word, who complied initially by pulling over, attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended in short order by the officers. A subsequent search revealed he was in possession of evidence linked to the stabbing.
The confrontation between Word and the victim allegedly ensued after the latter attempted to intervene with Word, a repeat shoplifter, as confirmed in the IMPD statement. The charges against Word include Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Theft, Resisting Law Enforcement by Fleeing on foot, and Possession of Cocaine. Further complicating matters for the suspect are his prior theft convictions, one of which occurred in Marion County.
While an arrest casts a shadow upon an individual, it does not serve as a determinant of guilt. As such, Word should be presumed innocent "unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," as the IMPD post cautions. His previous convictions, however, cannot be discounted leading into the legal process that lies ahead. Details on the condition of the stabbing victim were not immediately available.
The case, logged under IP260005569 by IMPD, remains subject to judicial proceedings, and Word's fate will ultimately be decided by the evidence presented, and the verdict rendered in court.
