The video from a Greenwood police officer’s body camera plays out like a movie, as a man lifts a knife above his head and lunges at his girlfriend, bleeding on the ground, police said.
In less than a second, a more than 20-year veteran of the Greenwood Police Department responds, firing his weapon multiple times.
The police-action shooting Saturday morning in a Greenwood neighborhood left Samson G. Varner, 36, dead. His girlfriend, Emily Glass, 35, was taken to an Indianapolis hospital with multiple stab wounds, police said.
Greenwood police continue to investigate the shooting, and will eventually turn their report over to the Johnson County Prosecutor to determine if the shooting was justified, Greenwood Assistant Police Chief Matt Fillenwarth said.
This was a case where the department’s body cameras are shown to be worthwhile, since the video from the officer’s camera shows the shooting was justified, Fillenwarth said.
“The officer saved that lady’s life,” Fillenwarth said.
A Greenwood police officer came to the home in the 800 block of Heatherwood Drive in the Featherstone neighborhood at 10:20 a.m. Saturday, after Glass called police and said her boyfriend had stabbed her, and she needed help, Fillenwarth said.
When the officer arrived, Varner was kneeling over Glass on the floor of the garage with a large knife in his hand, Fillenwarth said.
The officer repeatedly ordered Varner to drop the knife and step away from Glass, who was covered in blood with multiple stab wounds. Varner didn’t say a word, and stood up and stepped back. The officer continued to order him to drop the knife when Varner raised the knife above his head and lunged toward Glass, Fillenwarth said.
The officer fired multiple times, striking Varner, who fell to the ground and was later pronounced dead, Fillenwarth said.
“He was trying to stab her one last time,” Fillenwarth said.
Glass had multiple stab wounds and lost a large amount of blood. She had suffered a collapsed lung and her spinal cord was almost severed when she was stabbed in the back, Fillenwarth said. She was listed in critical condition Saturday, Fillenwarth said. Her condition was not available Sunday.
Varner and Glass lived in the home together, but Fillenwarth was not sure how long they had lived there. Police had no previous calls to the home or regarding the couple, he said.
The couple’s 2-year-old child was home at the time and was not injured. She is staying with relatives, Fillenwarth said.
Police are continuing to investigate and will send their final report to the prosecutor’s office, who will determine if the shooting was justified, Fillenwarth said.
The officer was wearing a body camera, which captured the shooting. Police are not releasing the name of the officer involved in the shooting, which is the department’s policy, Fillenwarth said.
The officer is currently on paid administrative leave, which is typical in a police-action shooting. The officer will need to meet with a psychiatrist and have a formal interview with investigators about the shooting, Fillenwarth said.
“Every officer that goes through this, it shakes them up pretty good,” Fillenwarth said.
