Shot IFD Firefighter Is A Double Dipper

Michael Kevin Gill

Now that Democrats are in complete control of Indianapolis' City-County government expect to see a lot more of this. Yesterday, the Indianapolis Star and all of the TV stations were reporting on the shooting of Michael "Kevin" Gill, an off-duty firefighter for the Indianapolis fire department. That's not his only job with the city-county government. Gill is also a full-time deputy coroner for the Marion Co. Coroner's Office. Gill was reportedly in fair condition at Eskenazi Hospital after he ran into a nearby mosque seeking medical attention after being shot on the city's north side.

Several years ago, I represented a Marion County deputy coroner who believed he had been fired because he was white by former Marion Co. Coroner Kenneth Ackles, who cost Indianapolis taxpayers several million dollars to settle racial discrimination lawsuits brought by employees and contractors like my client fired by Ackles for being white. The fired deputy coroner had been a firefighter with a township fire department that merged into IFD. He was told he had to give up his job because city rules didn't allow him to hold two full-time city jobs. The only problem with that explanation was that Gill, who is black, got to keep his job with the coroner's office when his township fire department merged with IFD.

Gill told police that he was returning to his Corvette parked behind some slummy-looking homes in the 2200 block of E. 38th Street yesterday morning when someone opened fire on him. News reports suspected Gill may have been targeted because he was driving an expensive car. Court records show that Gill has sued numerous individuals in Center Township Small Claims Court for money owed to him. Public records also indicate Gill and his Troy Investments own numerous properties in Marion County. I wouldn't be surprised if Gill is also a landlord of several homes in run-down neighborhoods in addition to being a double dipper.

Speaking of double dippers, are Steve Talley and Vernon Brown still holding down city jobs after their election to full time jobs as Lawrence Township Trustee and Warren Township Trustee, respectively? Talley has a make-work job with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Brown has been a long-time battalion chief with IFD. Both had to give up their jobs as City-County Council members after a new law took effect that barred city employees from serving simultaneously as city council members. Advance Indiana readers will recall that Gary Coons, who is white, was forced to resign his job as Perry Township Trustee when he took over as director of Indianapolis' homeland security division.

UPDATE: Check out the surveillance images of the man who is suspected of shooting Gill. He's carrying what has been described as a Sentry .223 assault rifle. I don't think he was planning to hold up Gill. It looks like he was trying to finish him off. The suspect's name is Jerry Glover, who has a lengthy rap sheet that includes drug-related and gun charges, among others. Glover's E. 38th Street address listed in court records is not far from where the shooting took place