Master Trooper James Bailey

Officer: Indiana State Police, Master Trooper James R. Bailey

Date: 3/3/2023            Location: Fort Wayne, IN      FACTORS (1,2,3,4,5,8,11)

Perpetrator(s) Involved: Terry Dewaine Sands II

Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Sands has “one misdemeanor conviction about 20 years ago.” / Yes, Sands was driving while under the influence and fleeing from the police.

Mental Illness: Unknown, however Sands alleges he was trying to drive his vehicle into Trooper Bailey’s patrol vehicle to kill himself.

Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown. / Yes, “Sands said he had smoked marijuana within an hour of the crash” and was on his way to buy more.

Race/Sex/Age: White/Male/42

What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At shortly before 4:30 p.m. on March 3, 2023, Fort Wayne Police Officer Matthew Mcgill observed a Jeep being driven “erratically and at a high rate of speed.” When PO Mcgill tried to pull over that vehicle, the driver, Terry Sands II refused to so PO Mcgill requested assistance over the radio. Indiana State Police Master Trooper James Bailey was nearby assisting on an accident scene when he heard PO Mcgill’s radio transmission, so he laid out stop sticks for the approaching vehicle.

Actions taken by subject toward police: As observed by PO Mcgill, Sands drove the Jeep “directly toward Master Trooper Bailey”, fatally running him over.

Reactions by the police: PO Mcgill pursued Sands when he exited his vehicle after running over Master Trooper Bailey and forcefully took Sands into custody when he resisted arrest.

How murdered? Master Trooper Bailey was intentionally run over while assisting to catch a fleeing suspect.

What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Unless an officer is able to seek cover behind a cement building, massive tree, or other substantial object, they are in harm’s way whenever they attempt to stop a fleeing vehicle with stop sticks.

Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? Justified deadly force would have been authorized once the officer saw the driver steer toward him, but at that point the officer would typically not have time to use it.

Outcome for the cop-killer: Sands was arrested and charged with “murder, resisting law enforcement, and causing death with a vehicle while driving under the influence.”