A statue of a police officer in Carmel was vandalized with red paint June 20.
According to images shared on social media, the phrase “it can happen here” was written on the officer’s back. Red paint was also smeared on the officer’s hands and elsewhere on his uniform.
The Carmel Police Dept. declined to release specific information about the incident but said the Carmel Street Dept. was able to quickly remove the paint without causing permanent damage.
Investigators are reviewing video footage from the area for possible evidence. The statue is on the north side of Main Street at the Monon Greenway.
“We are actively working this case and are trying to identify the person who did this,” CPD Lt. James Semester stated in an email. “No one has been arrested yet, but we hope to identify the person soon and hold him/her accountable.”
The statue by J. Seward Johnson is titled, “Oh, It’s You, Welcome.” It serves as a reminder of Frank Carey, the only Carmel police officer killed in the line of duty. Carey died in 1900 during a shoot-out.
