Melvin Bouler

Grand jury decision coming in Gary Police officer-involved shooting of Melvin Bouler

Contributed By:The 411 News

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter will be announcing the verdict in the State of Indiana vs Brandon Henderson at 11am Thursday, July 15.

Gary Police Officer Henderson was the subject of a Lake County grand jury investigation into the officer-involved shooting and death of Melvin Bouler, an 82-year-old Gary resident. The grand jury was seated in May.

Bouler suffered gunshot wounds when Gary Police responded to a call for assistance on November 17, 2019.

Bouler died 2 months later on January 4, 2020 in a Chicago hospital after being transferred from Gary’s Methodist Hospital.

Family members immediately questioned the shooting, considering Bouler’s age and that he was hard of hearing.

On the November date, Gary Police responded to a call from the Small Farms Apartment complex, in the 2400 block of Roosevelt Street. The caller said a man with a gun wouldn’t leave their apartment. When police arrived to the parking area of the caller’s address, they encountered Bouler in his vehicle.

News reports of the shooting tell of police officers asking Bouler to exit the vehicle. Officers saw a firearm and when Bouler didn’t comply, he was struck by shots fired from officers through the vehicle’s front windshield. Police had fired 10 shots into Bouler’s vehicle.

Bouler’s family has filed a wrongful death suit against the City of Gary and the Gary Police Department.

Story Posted:07/13/2021