INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man faces attempted murder charges after police say he shot at officers who responded to a welfare check.
A probable cause affidavit filed in the case against Ryan Ridner said officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to his home because his mother was afraid for his mental wellbeing.
The document states she called the police on August 25 to check on her son. She told police that Ridner had lost his job two days prior, was drinking, and she feared him to be suicidal.
Police responding to the home saw Ridner approaching the door armed with a handgun. The document states he was holding the handgun, with it kept down to his right side.
The officers backed away from the door before Ridner opened it and leaned out. The document states one of the officers told him to put the gun down, which he did. However, when they asked him to step away from the weapon, he responded “No, now why would I do that” before picking up the weapon and retreating into the house.
The document states that the officers took cover behind the vehicles after calling for backup. The document states Ridner went upstairs and transitioned to a rifle. He fired two rounds through the closed window at the officers.
One of the rounds penetrated the door of a patrol vehicle. The document states the second shot hit the street at the rear of a police vehicle, approximately five feet away from an officer.
After SWAT responded, the document states Ridner was arrested without further incident. At the time of the arrest, he had four live rifle rounds in his front pants pocket.
Ridner faces two counts of attempted murder and one count each of criminal recklessness and resisting law enforcement. An initial hearing is set in the case for September 1.
