GREENFIELD — Indiana State Police detectives continue to investigate the death of a man being pursued on foot by Greenfield police officers who struck his head on pavement after being shot with a Taser.
David J. Donelli, 42, Indianapolis, died in the incident at about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, in the parking lot of Home Depot, 2055 Barrett Drive, according to a news release from the state police.
Donelli was part of an investigation involving a stolen car. Three Greenfield Police officers — patrol officers Jill Jenkins and Andrew Pfaff and Lt. Matthew Holland — located the stolen car in Home Depot’s parking lot and learned Donelli was inside the store.
Sgt. John Perrine, a public information officer with the state police, told the Daily Reporter that the Greenfield officers made contact with Donelli inside Home Depot before he fled on foot into the store’s parking lot.
While chasing Donelli, one officer used a Taser to try to subdue him. After Donelli was hit with the device, he fell to the ground and struck his head on the pavement, the news release said.
Police rendered first aid at the scene until paramedics arrived. Donelli was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Perrine said the state police is not yet ready to disclose who used the Taser or other details such as where Donelli was hit and how far away he was from the officer who used the Taser. Perrine also said the state police investigators continue to look into all the circumstances surrounding the incident, including what led officers to Home Depot.
“This investigation is still very active,” he said.
Chief Jeff Rasche of the Greenfield Police Department requested the Indiana State Police to investigate the incident. The Hancock County coroner’s office also is assisting in the investigation.
The Greenfield Police Department deferred comment to the state police and did not respond to a request for information on the work status of Jenkins, Pfaff and Holland. The state police deferred a request for that information to the GPD.
The GPD’s use-of-force guidelines for “conducted electrical weapons” like Tasers states personnel may use them “when they are required to use physical force for protection from assault or take a person into custody.” The guidelines add the weapons “should be used before ‘hands on’ techniques or the use of impact weapons (batons, clubs) when possible.” Conducted electrical weapons “shall not be intentionally aimed at a person’s head, neck or groin,” the guidelines continue.
The guidelines also address the removal and storage of conducted electrical weapon probes; providing medical care to those hit; and downloading data from the weapons.
Online court records indicate that warrants were recently issued for Donelli in Marion County for theft, driving while suspended and drug charges, including possession of methamphetamine. He also had a pending case in Boone County, where he was accused of possession of meth and other charges. Records from the Indiana Department of Correction indicate Donelli finished a year-long sentence in May for being a habitual traffic offender.
In 2017, the Daily Journal in Franklin reported Donelli was arrested on multiple charges after leading police on a car chase that reached speeds up to 100 mph.
