INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA — A disturbing video captured this week outside a gas station in northeast Indianapolis shows a man threatening a woman with a handgun and forcing her up against a car. Police have arrested the suspect and charged him with several felonies.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. Tuesday at a Speedway gas station on East 56th Street, where police responded to a report of a “white male holding a Black female at gunpoint” near one of the pumps.
Upon arrival, officers took 60-year-old Mark D. White of North Carolina into custody. He faces multiple charges, including strangulation, intimidation, battery, and pointing a loaded firearm. The video, shared by Facebook user Kevin Edwards, shows White wielding a large silver pistol while cornering the woman, who is seated in her car. After she exits the vehicle, he pushes her against it, continuing to point the gun at her head. The footage then pans to reveal White’s 2015 Dodge Ram parked near the gas pump, alongside the woman’s black 2017 Chevy Impala.
Details on what occurred
Authorities responded to a gas station following reports of a confrontation between a man and a woman that involved weapons. When officers arrived at the scene, they found both individuals near the gas pumps. Officers instructed them to raise their hands, and the man, identified as White, was observed holding a silver handgun in his right hand before placing it in the bed of his truck.
The woman at the scene told officers she also had a handgun, which was located inside her vehicle. Police later recovered a black handgun inside a holster on the driver’s seat of her car.
Both White and the woman were detained, read their Miranda rights, and interviewed separately. The woman told police she was parked next to an out-of-service gas pump when White pulled up behind her. She explained that after he honked his horn several times, she moved her vehicle forward and exited the car. While standing outside her vehicle, the woman said she asked White about the situation, which led to a verbal exchange.
According to the woman, during the argument, White approached her aggressively, prompting her to pull out her handgun and hold it at her side. She said White then mentioned he had a larger firearm and went to retrieve a handgun from his truck.
The woman stated she tried to calm the situation, telling White there was no need for a larger weapon. White, in turn, allegedly responded with threatening language. She further claimed that White then physically assaulted her, grabbing her by the neck and pushing her against her car door. The woman said White also pointed his gun at her head and struck her in the face with it. She emphasized that she never aimed her handgun at White during the incident, which White later confirmed in his statement.
White provided his version of the events, saying he had been waiting behind the woman at the gas pump for a short period when he honked his horn at her. He claimed the woman then approached him with a handgun at her side, which prompted him to retrieve his own firearm. White said he walked the woman back to her vehicle at gunpoint, threatening her verbally and attempting to wrestle her gun away, but the woman eventually placed it in her car.
A bystander who witnessed the incident shared video footage with police, showing White pointing a gun at the woman and putting his hands on her neck during the confrontation. Police noted that the woman had visible scratch marks on her neck, consistent with her account and the witness’s testimony.
A search of White’s truck uncovered a silver Smith & Wesson Springfield 10mm handgun with live rounds, which was later booked into evidence.
Local community member Edwards expressed relief that no shots were fired during the altercation, calling for individuals to resolve their conflicts without resorting to violence.
Following an investigation, officers arrested White without further incident. He was booked into the Marion County Jail on the following charges:
- Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon – Level 5 Felony
- Battery with a Deadly Weapon – Level 5 Felony
- Strangulation – Level 6 Felony
- Pointing a Loaded Firearm – Level 6 Felony
- Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class A Misdemeanor
- Criminal Recklessness – Class B Misdemeanor
White is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, January 24, at 9 a.m. for an initial hearing. He is being held on a $30,000 bond while awaiting trial.
Police records show that White is a resident of Hickory, North Carolina, and does not appear to have a criminal history in Indiana.
