East-side bar shooting began after man attempted to break up fist fight, records show

An Indianapolis man arrested last week in connection to a fatal shooting outside an east-side bar reportedly began shooting after another man attempted to break up a fist fight, court records show.

Prosecutors say Marcus Washington, 38, repeatedly shot 40-year-old David Woodard in the parking lot of the Rural Inn in the 2700 block of East Michigan Street moments after Woodard attempted to break up a fight between Washington and another man on July 24, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with formal charges Monday.

Witnesses told investigators the incident began when Washington, a former employee at the Rural Inn, started "being rude and making nasty comments" toward a group of women at the bar, according to the affidavit.

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Another man later confronted Washington in the parking lot about the situation, surveillance footage and witnesses indicate, and a verbal argument ensued. The footage shows Washington punching the man until they fall to the ground, investigators said, and another man, identified as Woodard, is "seen trying to push Mr. Washington off of the male and appears to be trying to get Mr. Washington to calm down."

In the footage, Woodard eventually begins punching Washington in an attempt to get him off the other man, investigators said in the affidavit, before he starts to walk away.

"Mr. Woodard is approximately 15 feet away from Mr. Washington when Mr. Washington produces a handgun and begins shooting Mr. Woodard," investigators said. "Mr. Washington is walking towards Mr. Woodard while shooting Mr. Woodard. Mr. Woodard falls to the ground on his back and Mr. Washington stands over Mr. Woodard and continues to shoot him."

Police noted the surveillance footage shows Woodard had his hands in the air when the shooting began and was unarmed. 

As Washington walked away from the scene, another man began shooting him, and he fell to the ground, according to police. Washington returned fire, striking a different man in the midsection as he fled into the bar to call police. 

Police found Washington, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, in the parking lot and transported him to Eskenazi Hospital, according to the affidavit. The other man who was shot sustained a "non-fatal wound." 

In an interview with police from the hospital, Washington said he could not remember the events leading up to him getting shot, according to the affidavit. But, when asked by police, he said he thought the person who shot him was "someone he was arguing with." 

An initial hearing for Washington is scheduled for Wednesday.

Contact Lawrence Andrea at 317-775-4313 or landrea@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @lawrencegandrea.