Police in Indiana arrested a woman on Friday who is accused of killing an Indianapolis man in May when her gun went off during an argument.
32-year-old Tonika Miller is facing charges of reckless homicide and two counts of neglect of a dependent after an incident which resulted in the death of 41-year-old Dashawn Roscoe.
At about 2 a.m. on May 27, police were called to the 10100 block of Tinton Court, near 42nd Street and Mitthoefer Road.
Court documents state that officers arrived to find Roscoe on the ground with a gunshot wound to his face. Miller was trying to render aid by applying pressure to the wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Miller was taken to the IMPD Homicide Office for questioning and provided a full statement.
She told police that she and Roscoe had been involved in an intimate relationship for about five years. They lived in a one-bedroom apartment with their two children — one was 3 years old and the other was 9 months.
Miller said that they put the children to bed around 10:30 p.m. and hung out in the living room until Roscoe proposed they go to the playground in the apartment complex down the street to have sex on a blanket, per court documents. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex showed them leave their apartment at 12:50 a.m.
Court documents state that Miller said she brought her handgun with her for protection because it was late.
After sex, Miller said they had an argument about cheating on him, and she eventually left Roscoe at the playground. Surveillance footage showed Miller travel back to her apartment at 1:48 a.m., leaving Roscoe naked at the playground. Miller entered her apartment for about 1 minute before she traveled back to the playground area, footage showed.
Miller said she found Roscoe around the parking lot and pulled up next to him in her vehicle, court documents say. Miller told police she got out of the vehicle to get into the passenger seat so Roscoe could drive them home. She had her gun in her right hand when Roscoe pushed her in the back. Surveillance footage appears to show Roscoe shove her, police said. Miller said she then struck Roscoe on his right shoulder, and the gun went off, sending a bullet through Roscoe’s cheek.
Video showed Miller apply pressure to Roscoe’s wound before she drove to the middle of the parking lot in front of her building, ran inside, then ran back to Roscoe. She stayed with his body until police arrived.
A caseworker from the Department of Child Services was called and took possession of the children.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the case and charged Miller.
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