INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis police chief on Monday said his officers will follow a policy of “strict accountability” if anyone breaks the law.

The comments from Chief Chris Bailey of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department followed a violent weekend during which seven people were killed in six separate shootings.

On Monday, police announced they had arrested Anthony Bean in connection with a shooting early Saturday that claimed the lives of Israel Offett, 12, and Wayland Coe, 24, as they sat in a car at a gas station on the northwest side.

Bailey told reporters Monday afternoon that community cooperation was key to that arrest, and no further arrests had been made so far in connection with the other weekend shootings.

“We’ve said it over and over again that we cannot stop these things from happening and we cannot solve these things if we don’t have cooperation and work with the community,” he said, “so I’m proud the community stepped forward.”

Simeon Jones, 44, was found dead of gunshot wounds inside a shed on the east side on Sunday morning. A woman in the shed with him was in critical condition.

Rodney Ward, Jr., 16, died in a Friday shooting at a gas station on Mitthoefer Road.

Shawnetta Small, 44, was killed in a shooting on Downey Drive.

Aurturo Casimiro III, 50, was gunned down at a home near Brookside Park.

The youngest, Harmony Anderson, was just 2 years old when she died in an accidental shooting on Friday afternoon.

Bailey said his officers will continue work proactively, especially as the city prepares for the WNBA All-Star Weekend.

“If you step out, my officers have the direction of strict accountability,” he said. “We have to enforce the law. We will enforce the law whether it’s downtown or in our neighborhoods to keep our communities safe.”

In a statement, Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police No. 45, criticized officials’ response to back-to-back violent weekends and called on the state government to step in.

“Begging and Peace Tents won’t solve the violence overtaking our capital city. Indianapolis Neighborhoods and our Downtown deserve consistency not complacency. As peacemakers, we are called upon to make peace, not beg for it or posture for it. As policing professionals we place an emphasis on Education, Prevention, and Community Collaboration. However, once Violence occurs, we have an obligation to ensure Intervention.

“Extending curfew hours is a shallow and shortsighted approach, especially with a prosecutor who is more focused on what crimes he won’t prosecute and courts who oversee a juvenile facility with bed space cut by 55%.

“It is apparent Indianapolis leaders are stuck in the very corner they constructed with misguided policies and agendas — as now we see nothing but paralysis by politics.

“It’s time for the Indiana Legislature and Governor to step in. Call us, we have solutions.”

Gov. Mike Braun has already said the Indiana State Police will continue to assist IMPD wherever needed.

Asked about Snyder’s comments, Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett said the drop in Indianapolis’ violent crime numbers over the past three years show the city’s strategies are working. “It’s unfortunate that, over the past couple of weekends, a couple of the victims have been juveniles, but the truth is, we’ve had a 50% to 60% reduction in gun crimes and criminal homicides over the last three years. We still have a lot of work to do but the numbers are moving in the right direction and we want to keep it that way.”

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