Police: Elderly man shoots robbery suspect who pointed a gun at his wife

A 76-year-old man shot a robbery suspect in the head critically injuring him inside his Eastside home early Monday evening.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were dispatched to the 700 block of N. Bosart Avenue around 4:45 p.m. on a report of a person shot. When officers arrived at the location, they found a man, later identified as 27-year-old Anthony Talley, suffering from several gunshot wounds, including one to the head.

Early reports from police indicated a woman shot Talley, but in a statement released by the department Monday night, police said it was the woman's husband that had fired his weapon.

Police said Talley was attempting to rob the 75-year-old woman inside her rental office. When the suspect pointed a gun at the woman, her husband, who Talley didn't see, appeared from the back of the house.

Fearing for his wife's safety, he pulled out a handgun and critically injured Talley with multiple gunshot wounds.

Medics responded to the scene and transported the suspect to Eskenazi Hospital where he remains in critical condition, police said.

IMPD Sgt. Brian Gabel told an Indianapolis Star reporter at the scene that the robbery suspect had multiple open warrants for his arrest in Indianapolis, including strangulation, dealing drugs, possession of a firearm without a license and resisting law enforcement, according to online court records.

Neighbors who live nearby said they often see people, at all times of the day, walking in and out of the house where the shooting occurred. They said the elderly couple owns properties, and tenants come by to drop off their rent checks.

Police confirmed the woman was a "business owner" and had a "rental office" inside her home. An online search does list the address as the location for Home Sweet Homes, a property rental agency.

Brian Johnson, 55, who has lived in the 700 block of Bosart for 23 years, said he feels the area is pretty safe. He's raised five children on Bosart and his wife is the block captain of their neighborhood crime watch group.

Over the years, Johnson said he's seen the block go through its fair share of ups and downs, but he was shocked to hear of the attempted robbery. He told The Star that, in order to stay connected to what's going on with his community, he traverses Bosart three times a week, picking up trash and stopping to talk to neighbors.

"I try to keep it clean," said Johnson. "They say if you keep an area clean there's less crime."

But Johnson also said he's aware that sometimes bad things can happen.

Two of his youngest children still live with him and his wife on Bosart.

"Tonight, I'm going to tell them to keep the door locked."

Call Star reporter Michael Anthony Adams at (317) 444-6123. Follow him on Twitter: @MichaelAdams317.