Indianapolis—
UPDATE: A Judge ordered a 72-hour continuance for Thomas Hardy. He's being held on a Dollar General robbery and gun charge as well as a previous theft charge. He was advised of his rights.During the hearing, family members of Hardy told the judge he was not a violent person.
Prosecutors now have until Friday to develop their case.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Department of Corrections has suspended the parole agent assigned to Thomas Hardy. The parole agent has been placed on administrative suspension pending an investigation into Hardy's mistaken release. Hardy was mistakenly released from the Marion County Jail while awaiting trial on a theft charge.
Spokesperson Doug Garrison told Fox59 News that an investigation will try to determine why a parolee (Thomas Hardy) was in jail in December but not listed in a database. Hardy should have been held as a parole violator but the DOC did not advise jail authorities. Garrison also said the DOC may seek a technological solution to avoid future mix-ups and supervisors are reminding parole agents to update their parolees' status.
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The man suspected of shooting an IMPD officer appeared in court Tuesday morning on unrelated charges. Fox59 News was there as 60-year-old Thomas Hardy was escorted into the courtroom. He's charged with robbery and possession of a firearm.
Hardy has not been charged with shooting Officer David Moore, however, police say they are convinced he was the gunman. A gun was recovered from the home where Hardy was apprehended. Tests are currently underway.
Hardy was out on the streets but his parole agent had no idea it appears, that he had violated his parole. Hardy is accused of hitting the Target store at Glendale Mall not once, but twice last November, stealing expensive TV's worth more than $1,000. He was arrested which his parole agent or officer should have caught.
It may have sent him back to jail, meaning he would not have been out on the street Sunday.
"The mistakes made {were} not checking database that would let the DOC know he had been charged with another crime," said DOC spokesperson Doug Garrison.
Hardy's history was mostly theft dating back to 27 years ago in 1984. In 1997, possession of cocaine. More theft convictions followed in 2002, 2003. He served more time, one year and five months in 2004, again in 2007. In 2008, he served two years and eight months.
The Department of Corrections is continuing to investigate what happened and would not say if the parole supervisor would be reprimanded for not doing the monthly arrest check on Hardy which may have landed him in front of the parole board and back in jail.
