Elliahs Dorsey: Indianapolis man who killed IMPD officer Breann Leath found ‘guilty but mentally ill’

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion is advised.

INDIANAPOLIS, UNITED STATES: A man from Indianapolis, who faced charges in 2020 for shooting IMPD officer Breann Leath to death, has been found 'guilty but mentally ill' on six counts. 

The jury released a verdict on Friday, February 24, evening after two weeks of trial proceedings, two days of deliberation, and various closing arguments from both the State and Dorsey's attorneys.

Notably, the charge of murder was reduced to reckless homicide by the jurors in the case of Elliahs Dorsey as per FoxNews59.

What happened during the trials of Elliahs Dorsey?

Dorsey was arrested at the scene and charged with several crimes, including murder, but the murder charge didn't stay. His trial started on February 12 after a few delays.

The trial focused on Dorsey's mental state at the time of the shooting and his overall mental health. Dorsey's defense team had psychiatric experts who said he was having a psychotic episode when he shot Officer Leath and didn't know it was wrong. 

Marijuana and Covid-19 reasoned for Elliahs Dorsey's psychosis ruled out by prosecutors

Seven doctors told the jury that Dorsey's mental state was getting worse and that he lost touch with reality when he fired the shots. 

A psychiatrist said using marijuana that day might have caused Dorsey's psychosis. 

Dorsey's lawyers said his paranoid and psychotic episodes were because of the Covid-19 pandemic, playing football before, and problems in his romantic relationship. 

Prosecutors disagreed, saying Dorsey knew right from wrong when he decided to shoot at the door with someone behind it. 

During the closing arguments on February 22, the prosecution stressed that Dorsey wasn't psychotic during the shooting. 

They said Dorsey's defense team had to prove he knew his actions were wrong to prove he was insane. After seven days of testimony, both sides finished presenting their cases. 

On Friday, the jury found Dorsey guilty but mentally ill on all six counts, and hence reduced charges. 

The court said Dorsey's sentencing date will be set next week, but they didn't talk about possible punishments.

What happened to Officer Breann Leath?

Breann Leath was fatally shot by Elliahs Dorsey on April 09, 2020, at the Wellington Square Apartments.

Following the tragic killing, Dorsey admitted to being the person who shot the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer 

Leath and other officers went to the apartment complex after a woman called for help to get Dorsey out of her apartment. The caller said Dorsey was acting strangely, but she didn't tell dispatchers he had a gun.

When Leath got to the apartment door, Dorsey shot several times, killing her. Dorsey said he was scared for his life because he thought the woman had called people to harm him, but it was Leath and the other officers at the door. 

He also said he was scared because the officers didn't say they were from IMPD and didn't knock on the door.