The off-duty Anderson police officer involved in an early morning shootout in an east-side Indianapolis neighborhood has been charged by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officer Maurice Magee, 34, is charged with two counts of criminal recklessness for his alleged role in the 600 block of Woodruff Place West Drive shooting on May 19. Magee, who lives in Indianapolis, began searching the area after reporting his personal vehicle stolen. He reported his Dodge Challenger stolen to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department earlier that morning.
The prosecutor’s office said it’s believed the car was located by Magee using an Apple AirTag.
“Law enforcement officers should understand the proper and safe ways for reporting a crime,” said Prosecutor Ryan Mears. “The allegations in the probable cause affidavit could have been avoided if the defendant had simply allowed local police to conduct an investigation. Instead, his alleged actions unnecessarily jeopardized the safety of the residents of Woodruff Place.”
Just after sunrise, residents in the area who were getting ready for work, and their kids ready for school, heard vehicles revving and a collision followed by gunfire in front of their homes.
Witnesses saw Magee and a man detectives believed to be his brother-in-law carrying firearms coming down the street before the shooting happened between them and two suspects.
Maurice Magee, an Anderson police officer, was placed on leave while Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives investigate a shootout while McGee was off duty.
Office Maurice Magee: Residents demand answers after off-duty Anderson cop’s shootout in Indy neighborhood
Detectives said Magee and the man he was with were driving in separate vehicles. Magee was driving a black Mercedes-AMG, and his brother-in-law was driving a gray Dodge 2500 Ram pickup.
The pickup and the Challenger collided before the shooting, resulting in the car ramming into a neighbor’s fence on a hill.
After the crash, gunfire was exchanged between the men in the Challenger and Magee, the prosecutor said. The men in the Challenger then ran behind the house where they crashed.
They haven’t been identified or found, the prosecutor said.
Officer Maurice Magee told IMPD he didn’t fire his weapon
In an interview with detectives, Magee said he did not fire his weapon, an AR-15 rifle. Both Magee’s and his brother-in-law’s firearms were collected for forensic testing.
Multiple shell casings were collected from the crime scene and surrounding properties, including a fired bullet that traveled through an 8-year-old’s bedroom window and a wall before getting lodged in a bathroom wall.
Ballistic comparisons between the firearms collected and the shell casings found at the scene revealed that the man with Magee did not fire his weapon during the shooting.
It was determined that at least one of the fired shell casings had been fired by Magee’s rifle.
In a statement to IndyStar, Anderson Police said they were notified of Magee’s arrest, and he remains on administrative leave. They will reevaluate his position once they receive all the charging information from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and will release more details as they become available.
Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Off-duty Anderson cop charged in Indy neighborhood shootout