>>> IT'S BEEN A TRAGIC DAY HERE
IN INDIANA.
WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS AT
6:00 P.M.
AN IMPD OFFICER WAS SHOT AND
KILLED THIS AFTERNOON ON THE
EAST SIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS.
LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO, WE
LEARNED THE OFFICER IS BRYAN
LEE, JUST 24.
A MOM, ON THE FORCE JUST TWO AND
A HALF HISTORIES.
A U.S. -- TWO AND A HALF YEARS
AND A U.S. VETERAN AS WELL.
WE WANT TO START WITH EMILY
LONGNECKER WHO IS AT ESKENAZI
HOSPITAL.
>> Reporter: SCOTT, IMPD CHIEF
CALLED OFFICER LEE THE KIND OF
OFFICER THEY WANT ON THE
DEPARTMENT, STRONG, AND WELL
RESPECTED.
JUST 24, AND A MOTHER.
WE'RE TOLD THAT SHE HAD WANTED
TO BE A POLICE OFFICER SINCE SHE
WAS A LITTLE GIRL AND THAT
PUBLIC SERVICE REALLY WAS IN HER
BLOOD.
SHE WAS IN THE UNITED STATES
ARMY AND NATIONAL GUARD.
SHE HAD AN EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC
SERVICE AND HER FAMILY, HER
MOTHER, WAS A LONG TIME 911
OPERATOR AND HER FATHER A MARION
COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY.
THEY SPOKE ABOUT HER SACRIFICE
AND THE LOSS FOR THE CITY.
>> WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME
CHALLENGES THAT LIE AHEAD OF US.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE WILL
CONTINUE TO STAY ON THAT LINE
AND PROTECT OURSELF CITY AS PART
OF OUR HONORING HER AND HER
FAMILY.
JUST RECENTLY, I SHARED WITH
PEOPLE THAT WHILE WE'RE SAD, AND
FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WE
DROP OUR HEAD, AN EVIL ONE
THINKS THEY CAUGHT US WITH OUR
HEAD DOWN.
HE WILL THEN SEE US AND HEAR US
AND SAY AMEN AND MOVE FORWARD,
SO WE ASK OUR COMMUNITY TO JOIN
US IN DOING THAT AND HELP
SUPPORT THIS FAMILY AND OUR BLUE
LINE FAMILY.
>> Reporter: IN SPEAKING OF
OFFICER LE ATH'S SACRIFICE,
BLESS READY THE PEACEMAKERS SO
THEY SHALL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF
GOD.
SHE WAS RESPONDING TO A CALL ON
THE EAST SIDE TODAY.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE FIND MY
COLLEAGUE STEVE JEFFERSON.
>> Reporter: WHEN THE OFFICER
GOT HERE TO THE COMPLEX, SHE HAD
NO IDEA THE DANGER SHE WAS
FACING.
SHE CAME HERE AFTER DISPATCHERS
SENT HER A 911 CALL AND ASKED
HER TO RESPOND TO A CALL ABOUT
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HERE AT THE
APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WHEN SHE ARRIVED, SHE WENT TO A
SECOND STORY APARTMENT WHERE A
WOMAN NEEDED HELP IN A DOMESTIC
SITUATION.
WE WERE TOLD THAT BY SOME OF OUR
SOURCES THAT SHE NEVER REALLY
GOT INSIDE THE APARTMENT TO HELP
THE WOMAN WHO ALSO SUFFERED
GUNSHOT INJURIES AS WELL.
THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
SHOOTING, POLICE BELIEVE THEY
HAVE HIM IN CUSTODY.
OFFICER LEATH BASICALLY WAS
SHOT, WE WERE TOLD, BY A MAN ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR
INSIDE THE APARTMENT.
AGAIN, SHE WAS RUSHED TO THE
HOSPITAL WHERE SLY DID NOT --
SHE DID NOT SURVIVE THOSE
GUNSHOT WOUNDS.
EARLIER TODAY, INDIANAPOLIS
MAYOR JOE HOGSETT TALKED ABOUT
THE DANGER THAT SHE FACED WHILE
RESPONDING TO THE CALL.
>> DANGER IS A THING TO BE
AVOIDED.
NOT SO FOR OFFICER LEATH.
THAT'S BECAUSE RATHER THAN TURN
AWAY, OFFICER LEATH TURNED
TOWARDS THE DANGER.
SHE HEARD THE CALL AND SHE WENT
BRAVELY TOWARD THAT WHICH COULD
DO HER HARM.
BECAUSE SHE KNEW IF SHE DIDN'T,
HARM MAY COME TO OTHERS.
>> Reporter: RIGHT AFTER
RUSHING OFFICER LE ATH AND THE
WOMAN TO THE HOSPITAL, OFFICERS
RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND THEY
TOOK ONE MAN IN CUSTODY, WHO
THEY BELIEVE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE SHOOTING.
WE'RE TOLD RIGHT NOW HE IS
DOWNTOWN AT HEADQUARTERS BEING
QUESTIONED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
HERE.
AGAIN, OFFICER LEATH'S FELLOW
OFFICER, HER FAMILY, HER
FRIENDS, WILL CELEBRATE HER
LIFE, AND THE SACRIFICE, THE
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, SHE MADE
HERE TODAY ANSWERING THAT CALL.
>> SUCH BRAVE POLICE OFFICERS
TODAY RUSHING TOWARDS THE
DANGER.
STEVE, THANKS.
>>> THIS IS THE FIRST IMPD
OFFICER KILLED IN THE LINE OF
DUTY IN ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF
YEARS.
OFFICER PERRY RENN YOU PROBABLY
REMEMBER WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN
2014 WHILE RESPONDING TO A CALL
ABOUT SHOTS FIRED.
IN 2013 REMEMBER OFFICER ROD
BRADWAY WHO WAS KILLED WHILE
RESPONDING TO A CALL FROM A
DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE.
HE WAS JUST FORCE, HIS WAY
THROUGH THE DOOR WHEN THE
SUSPECT OPENED FIRE THAT DAY.