Federal case to proceed against Elkhart cops in beating case
Indiana prosecutors are setting aside their case against two police officers who were caught on video repeatedly punching a handcuffed man so that a federal case against them can proceed.
Excessive Force
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Terre Haute inmate awarded damages for excessive force
An inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute was awarded $2,000 in damages after he won his excessive force lawsuit, with the Southern Indiana District Court finding the “lack of institutional evidence of the incident was exacerbated by the (Bureau of Prisons’) treatment of (the inmate’s) sensitive grievance.”
Elkhart officers on unpaid leave after handcuffed man beaten
Two Indiana police officers who were caught on video repeatedly punching a handcuffed man have been placed on unpaid administrative leave. Members of the Elkhart Board of Public Safety agreed Monday to place Cory Newland and Joshua Titus on unpaid administrative leave.
Elkhart officers indicted for beating handcuffed suspect
Two Elkhart police officers who are alleged to have repeatedly punched a handcuffed man were indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Hammond for using excessive force against an arrestee.
Ex-DOC nurse faces sanctions for allegedly false affidavits
A former Department of Correction nurse who treated an inmate now suing DOC for excessive force was on the stand in federal court Tuesday, facing possible sanctions after she allegedly submitted false statements claiming to be unaware of the inmate’s accusations.
State police: No video of man’s killing by trooper
Relatives of a man fatally shot by an Indiana State trooper near Crawfordsville are demanding answers after police said there was no body or dash camera video of what led up to last week’s shooting along a western Indiana highway.
Judge threatens sanctions in DOC suit; attorneys claim honest mistakes
Two Indianapolis attorneys accused of filing false declarations on behalf of their state clients in an inmate’s excessive force lawsuit are facing federal court sanctions for the alleged misconduct, though the attorneys claim the issues giving rise to the court’s concerns were the result of honest mistakes.
New lawsuit says Elkhart police obstructed shooting probe
The sister of a man Elkhart police killed two years ago contends in a new lawsuit that department leaders obstructed an independent investigation of the shooting.
Indiana man gets $47K in excessive force lawsuit
A man who alleged that a Gary police officer attacked him during a traffic stop because he was having an affair with the officer's wife has reached a settlement with the city.
Elkhart police chief suspended after discipline reports
A northern Indiana police chief has been suspended 30 days without pay after revelations that two of his officers received only reprimands for repeatedly punching a handcuffed man and that nearly all of his supervisors have been disciplined at some point in their careers.
State Police decline request to investigate Elkhart police
Indiana State Police have declined to investigate Elkhart’s police department following reporting that revealed two police officers allegedly beat a handcuffed man.
Judge: Indy deputy used excessive force ‘sadistically and maliciously’
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy used excessive force against a former jail inmate “sadistically and maliciously,” a federal judge determined, ruling in favor of the inmate and ordering a determination of damages he is owed.
Elkhart police K-9 excessive force case to continue
An Elkhart police officer accused of using excessive force when he deployed a K-9 officer on a suspect lying in a cornfield has lost his bid for summary judgment and qualified immunity in federal court.
7th Circuit rules for paramedic in patient-arrestee’s death
Case law does not clearly establish that a paramedic can violate a patient-arrestee’s Fourth Amendment rights by exercising medical judgment to administer a sedative in a medical emergency, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Wednesday.
The court ruled in the paramedic’s favor on all counts brought by the estate of a man sedated during a naked public rampage.
Settlement reached in state police handcuffing of black teen
Louisiana State Police and a black Indiana man who was handcuffed and detained in New Orleans' French Quarter when he was a teenager in 2015 have settled a federal lawsuit. Terms of the settlement with the son of a Ball State University professor were not immediately disclosed.
Family questions use of force in arrest of teen at festival
The family of a 15-year-old boy who was arrested at a festival in Hammond says officers used excessive force by restraining the teen on the ground and placing their knees on his back. Hammond police, however, say they did nothing wrong in arresting the boy Wednesday for disorderly conduct while breaking up a fight between two girls at the Festival of the Lakes.
Excessive force claim to proceed against IMPD SWAT officer
A Fourth Amendment excessive force claim against an Indianapolis police officer will continue after a federal judge denied the officer’s motion for summary judgment on Tuesday. The SWAT officer is accused of assaulting a suspected drug dealer in his home after executing a no-knock warrant.
Fort Wayne officers’ excessive force countersuit bid rejected
A federal magistrate judge has rejected a bid by four Fort Wayne police officers to countersue a woman who accuses them of racial profiling and excessive force.
Fort Wayne police allege slander, defamation in countersuit
Four Fort Wayne police officers are alleging slander and defamation by a black probation officer accusing them of violating her constitutional rights.
7th Circuit grants summary judgment to IMPD officer who fatally shot agitated man
The Indiana Southern District Court must enter judgment in favor of an Indianapolis police officer who fatally shot a man while on duty after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined the officer acted reasonably and is entitled to qualified immunity.