Indiana man who killed Dutch soldier, injured 2 others sentenced to 105 years in prison
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana man was sentenced on Monday to 105 years in prison for the 2022 fatal shooting of a Dutch soldier and wounding of two other Royal Netherlands Army soldiers in downtown Indianapolis, authorities said.
Shamar Duncan was sentenced to serve 60 years for murder, 35 years for attempted murder, and 10 years for aggravated battery in Marion Superior Court, bringing a conclusion to a case that Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears called "100% preventable." All sentences were ordered to be served consecutively.
A jury convicted Duncan last month following a five-day trial in connection with the Aug. 27, 2022, shooting death of 26-year-old Simmie Poetsema. Two of the Dutch man’s comrades were injured in the gunfire that erupted during a night out in the downtown bar district.
"This case is yet another example of the toxic and tragic combination of guns and alcohol. The defendant chose to escalate an already resolved conflict when he picked up his weapon, murdered Simmie, and shot his fellow soldiers," Mears said in a statement after the sentencing. "He destroyed many lives including his own and he will now serve a 105-year sentence as a consequence of his actions."
What happened to Dutch soldier Simmie Poetsema?
The Dutch soldiers visited Indianapolis on a day off from training at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in southeast Indiana. The shooting occurred around 3:30 a.m. local time in downtown Indianapolis, authorities said at the time.
Witnesses told police the soldiers were walking back to their hotel from a club along Meridian Street when they were antagonized by Duncan and two people, according to court documents.
Duncan bumped into them as they walked past, the Dutch soldier’s friends told police. Poetsema and others in the group tried to diffuse the tension but it turned into a fight. Eventually one of Duncan’s peers said he was "going to go get a strap," an arrest affidavit said.
The groups separated with Duncan’s group piling into a pickup truck and the soldiers returning to a downtown hotel. According to an arrest affidavit, the group in the truck drove off and then made a U-turn, accelerating to the front of the hotel. Witnesses said they then heard gunshots.
Indianapolis police responded to the scene and found the two injured soldiers and Poetsema shot in the head outside a hotel in the 100 block of South Meridian Street. Poetsema died with his family and colleagues present, the Indianapolis Star, part of the Paste BN Network, previously reported.
The two other soldiers later returned to the Netherlands in good condition, according to authorities.
The soldiers were members of the Korps Commandotroepen, or Commando Corps, a special defense unit of the Royal Netherlands Army, according to the country’s defense department.
Bystander, surveillance footage help identify shooter
Using videos from bystanders and surveillance footage, investigators found the truck and identified Duncan as the shooter, according to the affidavit. Police arrested on Aug. 30, 2022, Duncan on a preliminary charge of murder.
When investigators located the truck, a man — who later admitted to being with Duncan the night of the shooting — was removing items from the vehicle, the affidavit states. Lights, a toolbox, and reflective strips were removed from the truck.
After the man was detained, he told police that a person had brushed up against someone in his group before it eventually turned into a fight, according to the affidavit. He and his friends then ran back to their vehicle.
The man said he was driving when someone in his group said they left their phone behind so he stopped the truck, the affidavit states. The man then heard gunshots.
"Shamar was shooting," the man told police, according to the affidavit.
In January, a jury found Duncan guilty of murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery. In a statement to the court, Duncan apologized and said he acted rashly in a moment of fear.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen, Paste BN; Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star