Shamar Duncan: Indiana man charged with murder of Dutch comando Simmie Poetsema
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: On Saturday, August 27, a Dutch soldier, Simmie Poetsema was killed and two others were wounded in a fatal shooting incident that occurred in Downtown Indianapolis. The soldiers who had been training at a southern Indiana military camp ended up in a fight with a group of men which resulted in the devastating incident.
Shamar Duncan, 22, an Indiana man was arrested on Tuesday, August 30 for killing the soldier and injuring two others. He was charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and disorderly conduct in the shootings on Thursday, September 1.
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According to DailyMail, the arrest affidavit states that Duncan told one of his friends he opened fire on the soldiers because he "just s*****d." The soldier who was killed by Duncan is identified as a 26-year-old member of the Dutch Commando Corps, Simmie Poetsema. He was affected by serious injuries and died while being "surrounded by family and colleagues," on Monday, August 29 according to an official statement of the Dutch Defense Ministry. The official statement from the Ministry of Defence of the Netherland further revealed that the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin expressed his condolences in a telephone conversation with Kajsa Ollongren, Netherlands Minister of Defence.
He also promised to provide any necessary assistance in the investigation of the shooting. Later, Ollongren said at a meeting of European Union defense ministers in Prague, "We do many trainings of our servicemen in the United States, and we really don´t expect this to happen. So it's very, very concerning for us." An unnamed witness also told cops who are investigating the case that Duncan and his two friends were "looking for trouble" and crossed a street and shoved a man later, his group picked a fight with the soldiers.
In addition, three detectives from the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee traveled to Indianapolis to gather information on the incident. Furthermore, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren also expressed her concern about gun violence in the United States after the shooting. During a press conference, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said, "I hope no one interprets this as the end of the investigation or that other additional charges against other individuals will not be filed in the future,' Mears said. 'We are continuing to evaluate everybody's conduct involved."
"Always remember, there are two sides to a story," said Defense attorney KiKi Gaither. He further added, "Clearly things got out of control. And it all comes down to, you know, who you believe." Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Kendale Adams stated that he is in constant contact with the investigators from the Netherlands. "We've been in constant contact with them in terms of what they need," said, Adams. He further added, "That will continue to go forward even after today." Investigators used statements from the surviving soldiers, witnesses, video from a bystander, and surveillance video to identify Duncan as the shooting suspect, according to the affidavit.
