Newly released bodycam footage from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shows the tense final moments of a September 2024 hostage standoff on the city's north side, when a man opened fire on officers as they entered an apartment where he had been holding a woman against her will. The man, Grant Brown, now 63, was shot twice by two officers and survived. He was convicted this summer on five charges, including attempted murder, and sentenced to 38 years in prison.
Police were called to an apartment on River Road after someone reported that a woman was being held against her will, according to WIBC 93.1 FM. The standoff unfolded around 11:30 a.m. on September 11, 2024, in the 7800 block of River Road near North Keystone Avenue and East 79th Street, according to WTHR. Court documents cited by the station revealed the woman had recently ended a relationship with Brown, who had grown increasingly emotionally unstable before holding her at gunpoint inside the apartment.
According to court records cited by the same station, Brown repeatedly threatened the woman while holding her hostage, telling her, “Tell them you're okay or I'm going to shoot you,” and later, “I'm just going to shoot you in the head.” Police spent about 10 minutes trying to get Brown to come outside before the standoff escalated, per WIBC's report. The woman told police Brown had threatened her, and she ultimately escaped the apartment safely.
Gunfire Erupts as Officers Breach the Door
When negotiations stalled and officers breached the apartment door, Brown opened fire, according to police accounts reported by WTHR. Two IMPD officers returned fire, hitting Brown twice — in the arm and abdomen — before he crawled outside and surrendered. No officers or other civilians were hurt during the incident. Brown was hospitalized in critical condition before he stabilized, the station's report noted.
Conviction and Sentencing Nearly Two Years Later
On July 17, 2026, a Marion County jury convicted Brown on five charges: Level 1 felony attempted murder, Level 3 felony criminal confinement while armed, two Level 6 felony counts of criminal recklessness, and misdemeanor domestic battery, per the same account. He was sentenced to 38 years in prison. Court records show Brown also received 221 days of good-time credit for pre-trial incarceration served between September 21, 2024, and July 16, 2026, under Indiana Department of Correction guidelines that calculate such credit based on security classification and conduct.
Why the Footage Surfaced Nearly Two Years Later
IMPD released the bodycam footage from the River Road standoff on Friday, alongside footage from a separate December 12, 2024 officer-involved shooting in the 900 block of South Kiel Avenue, according to WTHR. The timing lines up with the completion of Brown's criminal case: the department typically holds these releases until court proceedings conclude. According to official department guidance on Indy.gov, IMPD releases “Critical Incident Videos” on social media as community briefings meant to provide objective summaries of officer-involved shootings while criminal and internal reviews remain ongoing.
The River Road shooting occurred during what turned out to be a high-water mark for IMPD use-of-force incidents. IMPD recorded 17 officer-involved shootings in 2024 and 18 in 2023 — a two-year surge that prompted a U.S. Department of Justice review — before the number fell to 8 incidents in 2025, according to WFYI data reported by Hoodline. Under Indiana law, Ind. Code § 35-41-3-2 permits individuals and police officers to use deadly force when they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury or the commission of a forcible felony — a statute that does not require officers to retreat before responding to an armed threat.
