Gonzalez-Ramirez is a member of the Puros Vatos Locos street gang, and Taboada-Perez is a member of the Surenos Cut Throats gang. Both have tattoos that express allegiance to those gangs,

Two men charged in connection with the shooting of an Indianapolis police officer last week pleaded not guilty Thursday morning.
Eugenio Gonzalez-Ramirez, 18, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, carjacking, carrying a handgun without a license and a criminal gang enhancement after the Aug. 26 shooting of Officer Dustin Carmack.
Johnny Taboada-Perez, 22, was charged with assisting a criminal, possession of marijuana and a criminal gang enhancement.


Police said Taboada-Perez drove the car to a liquor store at Michigan Street and Tibbs Avenue and that Gonzalez-Ramirez fired four shots toward Carmack, striking him once in the hip.
Taboada-Perez's attorney, David Hennessy, filed a motion to obtain video evidence from the crime scene.
"I just learned this morning the video is from someone's cellphone. I was really hoping there would be surveillance or security video," Hennessy said. "It is important from a wider time period than perhaps the state has, but until I see it, I won't know."
Police said Gonzalez-Ramirez is a member of the Puros Vatos Locos street gang, and Taboada-Perez is a member of the Surenos Cut Throats gang. Both have tattoos that express allegiance to those gangs, authorities said.
Deputy prosecutor Denise Robinson said Wednesday that the suspects' gang connection could play a major factor if they are found guilty.
"If the judge sentenced them to 30 years on attempted murder, by statute criminal gang enhancement (the judge) can add another 30 years to that sentence. That's non-discretionary. That is a high price, and I don't have a problem with (the charges)," Robinson said.
Hennessey said his client is not in a gang, but if he were, it's not likely that rival gangs would have committed a crime together.
"If police got caught in a crossfire between two people in these gangs, they would say these two gangs were at war with each other. But, since they formulated the belief that these two people are in different gangs and came together to shoot at an officer, now it's rival gangs acting together. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me," Hennessy said.
Both men were being held Thursday on $500,000 bond. A jury trial was set for Oct. 31.