Indy Going Blue for IMPD Offers New Self-Defense Class

Indy Going Blue for IMPD, a group started in the aftermath of the July shooting death of Officer Perry Renn of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, is now offering a self-defense course taught by one of the city’s police officers.

According to WISH, the class is taught by IMPD Officer Jeff Patterson.

“My biggest concern is to let people know that they can be a victim, and once you can identify that, once you face it, then you can take steps to avoid it,” Patterson said.

Patterson teaches striking techniques, how to escape a number of different holds, and how to use an attacker’s own body against them.

The class, which is completely free, included men, women and children participants, as well as new IMPD recruits, all of whom took the class and learned self-defense techniques together. Over 50 students attended the self-defense class.

“To know that maybe we live in an area that may not be as safe as it once was and now we’re armed with some information to help us survive if we’re attacked,” Patterson told WISH of his hopes for the class.

Indy Going Blue for IMPD encourages participants to bring food and other donations for the David Moore food pantry. Moore was killed in the line of duty in 2011.