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Nazire Lee Parks

Age : 14

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 09/03/2021

Location : IN-32 & 650 East

City : Union Township

County : Boone

State : Indiana

Agency : Lawrence Police Department

Officer(s) :Officer Jeffrey Gray, Officer Matthew Hickey, Officer Andrew Thorup

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 09/03/2021, at approximately 4:00 a.m., a Lawrence Police Department officer attempted to stop a Kia Soul for driving without headlights and displaying expired registration near Pendleton Pike and Mitthoeffer Road in Lawrence. The driver, later identified as 14-year-old Nazire Parks, continued driving away and officers pursued the vehicle.
The pursuit continued for more than 30 miles through Marion, Hamilton, and Boone counties. According to a later federal lawsuit filed by the families of two of the children, Lawrence police supervisors ordered the pursuit terminated after it reached Interstate 65. The lawsuit alleges that three officers turned off their emergency lights and sirens but continued following the Kia until it crashed. Lawrence Police have maintained that the officers were no longer engaged in an active pursuit at the time of the collision and that their actions complied with department policy. No officers were disciplined.
Near the intersection of State Road 32 and County Road 650 East in Boone County, the Kia left the roadway and struck a tree. Nazire Parks, who was driving, and front-seat passenger Kamyla Young, 13, died from their injuries. Four other juveniles in the vehicle were injured, including Janiya Young, who placed a 911 call during the chase telling dispatchers the driver was afraid to stop because he believed police would shoot him.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office investigated the crash with assistance from the Indiana State Police. Lawrence Police Chief Gary Woodruff stated that officers were found to have acted within department policy and that no disciplinary action was taken.
In June 2023, the families of Nazire Parks and Kamyla Young filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Lawrence and three Lawrence police officers. The lawsuit alleges the officers acted recklessly by continuing the pursuit after being ordered to terminate it and that their conduct caused the fatal crash. As part of the litigation, attorneys cited radio traffic, dispatch recordings, and the prolonged length of the pursuit.
An Indiana public-records dispute later confirmed that Lawrence Police withheld investigative reports, body-camera recordings, dash-camera recordings, and other materials while the investigation remained active. The department released its pursuit policy but declined to release most investigative records at that time.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/police-identify-teenagers-killed-in-crash-after-police-chase-nazire-parks-kamyla-young-lawrence-boone-county/531-8ce42cad-f95a-468d-8de8-924254a5db71
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/a-look-at-lawrence-pd-chase-policy-following-crash-that-killed-two-teenagers-indianapolis-indiana-boone-county/531-8647262c-a302-4eab-9091-f4bb8c2fbb83
https://www.wrtv.com/news/public-safety/families-sue-lawrence-police-officers-over-2021-chase-that-killed-4-teens-injured-4-others