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Shamar Duncan, a 22-year-old man arrested for allegedly fatally shooting a Dutch commando in Indianapolis on Saturday, is accused of ‘looking for trouble’ in court documents seen by local newspaper the Indianapolis Star.
Soldier Simmie Poetsema, 26, died from a single gunshot to the back of his head outside the Hampton Inn hotel. Two other Dutch soldiers were also injured during the incident and are recovering in hospital.
The Dutch soldiers, members of the Commando Corps, were in Indiana for urban warfare training. The Dutch defense ministry says they were shot in front of their hotel while off duty.
New details
The Dutch soldiers reportedly told investigators they were walking back to the hotel from a club downtown when they came across Duncan and two other men. In the probable cause affidavit for Duncan’s arrest on murder charges, a witness said he watched Duncan’s group shove a man in a different group that then walked away. Another group may allegedly have been antagonised too.
Duncan’s group is alleged to have ‘intentionally’ bumped into the soldiers as they walked past. Witnesses reportedly claimed that Poetsema and other soldiers tried to diffuse the situation before a deadly fight lasting between 30 seconds and a few minutes.
Investigators used statements from Dutch soldiers, witnesses, video from a bystander and surveillance video to identify Duncan as the suspect. He is accused of firing shots from the back seat of a pickup truck.
Three detectives from the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee are in Indianapolis assisting in the investigation, according to officials.
Poetsema’s remains will be brought back to the Netherlands with the rest of the unit this week, said a spokesman for the Royal Netherlands Army. The two injured soldiers will also return.
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