Indiana Teen Accused of Trying to Shoot Cop Walks Free After Bodycam Footage Challenges Officer’s Claim

A teenager was arrested in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the accusation of pointing a gun at a police officer in April. The officer, Sgt. Robyn Frazier said she confronted 18-year-old Dailen Brewer at Riverside Park.

According to Frazier, as she approached the teen’s car, he grabbed his revolver and allegedly pulled the trigger. However, the gun did not fire. Brewer was arrested on the scene and charged with pointing a firearm. However, bodycam footage of the incident told a different story, which led to the charge being dismissed.

On April 12, 2026, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police had barricaded the Riverside Park entrance to manage traffic around 6:30 p.m. Shortly after, they received a call about a suspicious red car. Sgt. Frazier then pulled over ahead of the vehicle and approached the car.

Inside, she saw Brewer sitting in the driver’s seat, while his friend was in the passenger side. According to court documents, when Frazier told Brewer to open the car door and come outside, she saw an AR-style gun between his legs and a revolver beside his left foot.

Frazier said she was forced to pull her firearm after she saw Brewer moving his arm. “Brewer made a gesture like he pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire. He looked down at his gun as if he were surprised by this,” police later said in a social media post announcing the teen’s arrest.

However, court documents stated only that Brewer moved his arm and made no mention of him pointing the weapon at the officer. As Frazier pulled her firearm, she asked Brewer to raise his hands. The teenager obliged and was arrested.

But Brewer told his side of the story in an interview with IndyStar and said he never even touched his revolver. “As soon as she got up to the car, I didn't touch anything. As soon as she said, 'raise your hands,' I raised my hands. I didn't touch nothing at all. And then she said step out the car. I might as well comply,” he said.

After Brewer spent four days in jail, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed Frazier’s bodycam footage and found it consistent with the teenager’s account. Hence, the prosecution decided to dismiss the case, and Brewer was released from jail. A week later, the bodycam footage was released to the public, sparking widespread backlash.

While Brewer is now free, he says the arrest has left him with lasting trauma. According to his mother, Delores Brewer, the teenager lost his job because of the accusations against him. “My son had a good job working in Westfield for a construction site company that built a new home. He lost that now,” Delores said.

However, a spokesperson for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said the bodycam footage did not show the complete sequence of events. “Body-worn cameras, while valuable tools, only capture a portion of an officer’s field of view and do not capture everything experienced by an officer,” the spokesperson said.