Officer Noah Shahnavaz
On the evening of July 30, 2022 Officer Shahnavaz arrived for work as a night shift patrol officer for the Elwood Police Department. At the age of 24, Shahnavaz had served the Elwood community for 11 months.
While on his evening patrol, Office Shahnavaz pulled up beside a half-finished mural on the side of Joyner’s restaurant in downtown Elwood. He stopped to tell the artist, Theodore Winters, how much he liked the work. Winters had been hired to paint an American flag there, and told the officer he hoped the mural would remind him, every time he drove by, that people care. The artist did not learn who the officer was until the next day when he became national news.
Noah Shahnavaz grew up in Fishers, Indiana. He graduated from Fishers High School in 2016, where he played percussion in the band. His former band director called him as “a sweet soul in a compact package,” and said he was devoted to the group and loved music. A classmate from the marching band drum-line recalled his smile, contagious laugh and kind personality.
Straight out of high school Noah chose to first serve his country in the US Army. Shahnavaz served in the 591st Military Police Company, earned the Air Assault Badge, and deployed to the Middle East from June 2017 to February 2018. He rose to the rank of sergeant.
A career in law enforcement was always the goal. His Army squad leader remembered asking whether he wanted to stay in the military. Shahnavaz said no, he still wanted to be a cop. Soldiers who served with him spoke at his funeral. One called him “my battle leader.” Another remembered the young sergeant who greeted a miserable midnight shift with a smile, and everyone recalled his distinctive belly laugh. Friends gave him nicknames, including “Shanny.”
After leaving the Army, Noah joined the Elwood Police Department in 2021 and attended the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. He graduated in April 2022. Chief Jason Brizendine said Shahnavaz “loved his job and excelled at it,” and described him as the little brother of the department. Brizendine said he knew after the first interview that he wanted to hire him. Shahnavaz wore badge number 39.
July 31, 2022
2:00 AM – Officer Shahnavaz conducted a traffic stop on a 2012 Buick LaCrosse near State Road 37 and County Road 1100 North in Madison County. Officer Shahnavaz radioed to his dispatcher that the driver “had a gun”. The suspect, 42-year-old Carl Roy Webb Boards II, immediately got out of his vehicle and fired 36 rounds from an AK-47 style rifle before Officer Shahnavaz could exit his patrol vehicle or draw his weapon. The suspect then fled the scene south on SR 37.
Elwood officers and Madison County deputies reached him and gave lifesaving aid until EMS crews arrived. Noah was initially taken to Elwood Ascension St. Vincent Mercy Hospital in an attempt to stabilize him. He was then flown by air medical helicopter to Indianapolis, where he succumbed to his injuries.
2:25 AM – A Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy spotted the fleeing Buick near SR 37 and 146th Street, initiating a high-speed vehicle pursuit. Police deployed a tire deflation device (spike strips) near SR 37 and 146th Street. Though the spikes damaged the Buick’s tires, the suspect refused to stop and forced the vehicle onto Interstate 69 southbound.
2:35 AM – As the pursuit continued down I-69 into Fishers, the Fishers Police Department was determined to terminate the chase. Officers executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver. The suspect kept driving, forcing officers to execute a second PIT maneuver. The second impact sent the Buick crashing into the highway’s median barrier, disabling the car.
2:40 AM – Officers took Boards into custody without further gunfire. Upon searching the vehicle, police located a 9mm handgun on his person and a black semi-automatic rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine resting directly on the driver’s seat.
A Town in Mourning
Elwood is a small city where violent crime is rare. The shock was immediate. Mayor Todd Jones said Shahnavaz “was part of our city family.” Within hours, neighbors were leaving flowers at a memorial. A patrol car outside the Elwood Police Department became a shrine of flowers, teddy bears, flags and handwritten notes. Hundreds gathered for a vigil the following Monday night.
Saying “goodbye”
Public visitation was held on Friday, August 5, 2022 from 2:00-7:00 PM. Family, friends and a community with just one question, “Why?”, paid their respects to the fallen officer.
The funeral was held Saturday, August 6, 2022 at ITOWN Church in Fishers. The sanctuary seats more than 1,200, and mourners also filled two overflow rooms. People came from as far away as Canada and California.
8:30 AM – Law enforcement personnel and police officers from across the country began arriving and staging at the church.
11:00 AM – The formal funeral service commenced at ITOWN Church. Over 1,300 people attended the service, which featured a eulogy from Noah’s mother, Laurie Shahnavaz.
Post-Funeral – A massive 70-mile funeral procession escorted Officer Shahnavaz from Fishers back through his patrol city of Elwood. Officer Shahnavaz received his final 10-42 call, signifying the end of his tour of duty.
Evening – The procession left Elwood and traveled south down U.S. 31, passing through Carmel, Indiana. The service concluded at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, where Officer Shahnavaz entered through the 34th Street entrance and laid to rest with full military and police honors.
Along the route stood family, fellow officers, soldiers, and strangers who knew him only as the officer with a friendly smile.
What Remains
Noah was single, and is survived by his parents, Matthew and Laurie, his brother Elijah, his sister Sarah, and his grandparents. At the funeral, his family and friends kept returning to one request: #rememberNoah. The community has kept its promise..
- Fishers paid tribute to him at its National Night Out event. A thin blue line flag was given to the Elwood Police Department in his honor.
- 2025 – Following a bill signed into federal law, the Elwood Post Office was officially renamed the Officer Noah Jacob Shahnavaz Post Office Building. A permanent bronze memorial plaque honoring his service and military background is displayed outside the main entrance.
- Officer Noah Jacob Shahnavaz Memorial Mile. A one mile memorial section runs directly south of the State Road 13 intersection on the south side of Elwood. Official state highway signs display his name to ensure his sacrifice is always remembered by passing motorists.
- Elwood City Hall Memorial Plaque. The Elwood Police Department dedicated a custom plaque placed prominently outside the city building. It serves as a daily reminder to city staff and community members of his dedication to protecting Elwood.
- Remember Officer Noah Foundation. Established by his family to turn tragedy into protection for fellow law enforcement officers. The foundation actively purchases and supplies protective ballistic windshields for police cruisers across Indiana. The foundation aims to supply packages in sets of 39 to honor Noah’s Elwood PD badge number, Badge 39.
Trial Progress
Carl Roy Webb Boards II faces multiple counts, including capital murder and resisting law enforcement. The case has experienced extensive delays due to competency evaluations, changes of defense counsel, and additional felony charges stemming from an in-prison assault.
Aug 2022 – Madison County prosecutors officially announce they will seek the death penalty.
Sep 2022 – An initial trial date is tentatively set for January 9, 2023.
Feb 2023 – Boards is ordered transferred to a state prison for safekeeping ahead of trial. Legal teams propose pushing the trial to mid-2024.
Apr 2025 – The trial is continued yet again. Madison Circuit Court Judge Andrew Hopper reschedules the trial for January 26, 2026, with jury selection to start January 12, 2026.
Apr 25, 2025 – While awaiting trial, Boards allegedly stabs a state correctional officer multiple times at the Miami Correctional Facility. He is subsequently moved to Westville Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison, and hits a new wave of felony charges.
Early 2026 – Boards is ruled incompetent to stand trial due to delusions regarding his legal team, undergoes treatment at Logansport State Hospital.
July 2026 – Following treatment, health officials submit a new evaluation. A Madison County judge officially rules that Boards’ competency has been restored, allowing the case to move forward.
Sept 2026 – Judge denies a request from Boards’ public defenders to withdraw from the case. The attorneys stated that Boards suffered from delusions that they were plotting against him and had refused to speak with them for a year.
Oct 2026 – Boards explicitly states to the court that he wishes to waive his right to counsel and represent himself
Nov 2, 2026 – A scheduled “waiver of counsel” hearing. The judge will advise Boards of the constitutional rights he is giving up and the legal responsibilities of acting as his own attorney.
Feb 24, 2027 – The scheduled start of the death penalty murder trial.
Printed Obituary
Noah Jacob Shahnavaz,24, of Fishers, was killed in the line of duty on Sunday, July 31, 2022. He was born on May 18, 1998, to Matthew and Laurie (Bousman) Shahnavaz in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Noah was a 2016 graduate of Fishers High School and attended the J. Everett Light Law Enforcement program. He was a freshman wrestler and a four-year member of the FHS Drumline. He proudly served his country as a Sergeant in the United States Army in the 93D Military Police Battalion and was awarded the Air Assault Badge. Noah was deployed to the Middle East from June 2017 to February 2018 and served in two border missions. After his discharge, Noah became an officer for the Elwood Police Department in August 2021, graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in May 2022.
Noah attended ITOWN church and was a member of the F.O.P. He treasured his family and enjoyed hiking, boating, and gaming. Noah had a special love for his family dog, Phoenix.
He is survived by his parents Matthew and Laurie Shahnavaz; sister, Sarah Shahnavaz; brother, Elijah Shahnavaz; grandparents, Jalalledin & Nahid Shahnavaz and Don & Barbara “Grand Barb” Batson; aunts, Beth (Joe) Krejsa and Lana Boswell; and his cousins, William Boswell, Cooper Boswell, Chloe Krejsa, Anna Krejsa, and Wyatt Krejsa.
Noah was preceded in death by his grandmother, Cynthia Miller.
Visitation will be from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Friday, August 5, 2022, at ITOWN Church, Olson Farms Campus, 12491 E. 136th Street, in Fishers. Services will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 6, 2022, at the church, with Pastor Larry Davis and Pastor Dave Sumrall officiating. Burial will follow at Crown Hill Cemetery, Heroes of Public Safety, 700 38th Street, in Indianapolis.
The funeral service will be streamed on the following sites beginning at 11:00 am on Saturday:
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Indiana Fallen Heroes Foundation, Inc., 1710 South 10th Street, Noblesville, IN 46060, or online at: https://indianafallen.org/fallen-heroes Please notate “Shahnavaz” on any donation note. Donations can also be made in person at any First Merchant Bank Location.
