Sara Salinas, and Vic Ryckaert

IndyStar

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Adrian Aurs was fueled by jealousy when he shot a man last week, according to court documents filed Thursday.

“What are you laughing at with another man in your apartment!" screamed Aurs, a 17-year veteran of the department, before firing three shots at a man on the sofa in his estranged wife's apartment about 10:40 p.m. Friday, according to records.

The man wasn't a new boyfriend. He was Sgt. Robert Pearsey, a detective with IMPD's special investigations unit who was called to investigate complaints of domestic abuse. Aurs, a 42-year-old officer once decorated for bravery after rescuing a woman from a burning car, now faces attempted murder and other charges in connection with the shooting that injured his colleague.

Aurs fled in his Chevrolet Silverado to Cincinnati, where he was arrested about 2 a.m. Saturday after a traffic stop and brief standoff. He was brought back to Indianapolis and booked into the Marion County Jail on Tuesday, according to online records.

IMPD officer shot at detective 3 times, court documents say

He appeared in Marion Superior Court on Thursday, where prosecutors filed new charges of residential entry and pointing a firearm.

Aurs' first appearance in court drew a crowd: loved ones of Aurs and Pearsey sat next to uniformed members of IMPD's special investigations unit.

Defense attorneys argued for the $200,000 bond to be reduced, saying Aurs would stay with his uncle, a former police officer, upon his release. But the state argued that the original bond amount was appropriate because of Aurs' alleged use of a deadly weapon. The bond was not changed.

Amended charging documents released Thursday provide new details about the events last Friday night. The records describe Aurs as a violent man overcome by jealousy on the night he shot the detective in the apartment in the 6700 block of Valley Brook Way.

A couple hours earlier, at about 8:25 p.m., police say Aurs pushed his way into his wife's apartment, slapped a phone out of her hand when she tried to call 911, went through her purse and stole her keys before leaving. The couple separated seven months ago, and a divorce is pending.

Aurs contacted a supervisor as he drove off, telling him he had forced his way inside after his wife refused to let him see their two children.

The domestic violence complaint was assigned to Pearsey. He took a statement from Aurs' wife and settled on the couch — the same couch where one of their two children was sleeping — when Aurs forced open the back door and started shooting.

Bullets struck Pearsey in his right elbow and side, records say. Pearsey dove for cover while Aurs' wife and two children hid in a bathroom.

Pearsey drew his own gun with his off-hand and squeezed off one shot as Aurs ran through a patio door.

Outside, records say, Aurs threatened to shoot a neighbor before holding the gun to his own head. The neighbor talked to Aurs and managed to calm him while his wife and kids ducked into another apartment, prosecutors say.

"I want to see my kids one more time," Aurs told the neighbor, according to the documents. "I shot my friend."

Aurs got into his truck and drove off, but the records say he soon called his estranged wife's father, "saying he was sorry and he wanted to kill himself."

Cincinnati police were looking for Aurs' truck when they they pulled him over early the next morning. Aurs initially "barricaded himself in the vehicle" but surrendered a short time later.

Cincinnati officers found a Glock 27 that showed signs of being recently fired. The gun was three bullets short of a full clip. They also seized Aurs' iPhone and IMPD badge.

"I shot someone," Aurs told police in Cincinnati, according to documents. "I lost it. I just snapped."

Back in Indianapolis, investigators recovered Aurs' department-issued Glock 22 handgun and an AR-15 rifle from his squad car.

Aurs' 17-year career with IMPD saw highs and lows, including an officer-involved shooting that killed a 23-year-old, a woman's fiery rescue from a burning car, a drunken-driving arrest and a 20-day suspension for rule violations.

Thursday's hearing was the first major event in the case since Aurs was extradited back to Indianapolis and comes just days after Indiana lawmakers proposed harsher sentences for suspects who target police officers.

Aurs' next appearance in court is scheduled for September. A jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 3.

Indystar reporters Jill Disis and Madeline Buckley contributed to this story.

Call IndyStar reporter Sara Salinas at (317) 444-6157. Follow her on Twitter: @saracsalinas.

Call IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @vicryc.