On June 29, Aaron Bailey was pulled over and fatally shot by IMPD. Bailey was an unarmed person of color, whose tragic death demands action and accountability. Both IMPD and the FBI are in the midst of investigations. The ACLU of Indiana is grateful that Prosecutor Terry Curry has heard the concerns of the community and designated a special prosecutor to pursue the case.

At the ACLU of Indiana, we believe that Aaron Bailey, his family and the Indianapolis community deserve an examination of the facts that will expose both the truth and the path toward a safe community for all.

"None of the actions that we can take now will bring back the life that was taken, but we as a community and as advocates must do whatever we can to ensure this tragedy does not repeat itself," says Katie Blair, Director of Advocacy with the ACLU of Indiana.

The first steps toward transparency were taken with Curry's appointment of a special prosecutor and with local law enforcement's examination of their policing practices.

"We stand with the family of Aaron Bailey," says Jane Henegar, Executive Director of the ACLU of Indiana. "The recurring incidents of police actions, around the country, that harm people of color show the need for policing practices that serve and protect with fairness and without bias."

Police departments across the country engage in aggressive and selective enforcement disproportionately and unfairly in communities of color. The facts are undeniable and these tragedies need to stop immediately. We encourage and support IMPD in their stated intention to spend time and care revamping their training practices. We ask that they maintain this focus on fairness and impartiality for years to come.

While the ACLU of Indiana is not presently involved in litigation in this matter, the ACLU nationally demands transparency and the protection of our civil liberties. We are paying close attention to Aaron Bailey's case as more details come forward.

The ACLU of Indiana stands against the coordinated attack on voting rights in this country, which includes the administration's so-called "Election Integrity" Commission.

The "Election Integrity" Commission, formed by President Trump and chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, asked every state in the nation to provide voter data, including full names of all registrants, addresses and dates of birth; last four digits of social security number; and political party and voter history. We believe that a request with this kind of sensitive information could be a violation of privacy.

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, who sits on the commission, refused to hand over Indiana voter data, citing state law. In Indiana a voter's name, address and congressional district are available to the public; beyond that voter information is kept private.

"We have demanded to know the basis for the "Election Integrity" Commission and we will fight efforts to use the commission as a pretext for voter suppression." says Jane Henegar, Executive Director of the ACLU of Indiana. "The real threat to electoral integrity is too many eligible voters do not vote, here in Indiana and across the country."

In the 2016 election, Indiana had the lowest voter turnout in the nation. In May of this year, the ACLU of Indiana filed one of five Freedom of Information Act requests seeking to know the information that the Trump administration is using as the basis for its voter fraud claims.

The ACLU of Indiana will continue to monitor the commission, protect Hoosiers' privacy, and take legal action as necessary.

Go here for more information on Kris Kobach and his impact on voter rights. 

Go here for more information on what we have done in Indiana to protect the right to vote.