Simmie Poetsema Obituary, Death; – A man convicted for the fatal shooting of a Dutch soldier in downtown Indianapolis in 2022 has received a sentence exceeding 100 years in prison.
Shamar Duncan was sentenced to 105 years on Monday by the Marion Superior Court, marking the conclusion of a case that Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears described as “100% preventable.”
Mears commented outside the courtroom after the hearing, stating, “This incident once again highlights the dangerous combination of alcohol and firearms, leading to poor decisions that result in irrevocable changes to many lives.”
Last month, Duncan was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery after a five-day trial related to the shooting death of 26-year-old Simmie Poetsema on August 27, 2022. Two of Poetsema’s fellow soldiers sustained injuries during the gunfire that erupted in the downtown bar district.
In his statement to the court, Duncan expressed remorse, claiming he acted impulsively out of fear. According to court documents, witnesses reported that the Dutch soldiers were returning to their hotel from a club along Meridian Street when they were provoked by Duncan and two associates.
Duncan allegedly collided with them as they passed by, prompting Poetsema and his companions to attempt to de-escalate the situation, which ultimately escalated into a physical altercation. An arrest affidavit noted that one of Duncan’s associates threatened to retrieve a firearm.
The groups eventually parted ways, with Duncan’s group entering a pickup truck while the soldiers returned to their hotel. The affidavit indicated that the pickup drove away but then made a U-turn, speeding back to the hotel, where witnesses reported hearing gunfire.
Indianapolis police arrived at the scene around 3:30 a.m. and discovered the two injured soldiers and Poetsema, who had been shot in the head, outside the hotel in the 100 block.
The post Simmie Poetsema Obituary, Death; Indianapolis man gets more than a century in prison for killing of Dutch soldier first appeared on Enegxi News – News As It’s Happening.
