Indy police sergeant arrested for use of force during arrest

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Chief Randal Taylor said Tuesday that a constabulary sergeant had been charged with utilizing excessive unit for his actions during a September arrest.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office filed 2 ceremonial charges against IMPD Sgt. Eric Huxley. Prosecutors charged him with authoritative misconduct and artillery resulting successful mean bodily injury.

The charges travel aft a regular probe into an allegation of excessive unit that occurred connected Sept. 24, according to a probable origin affidavit.

The body-worn camera video of the incidental shows a antheral handcuffed and connected the crushed erstwhile Huxley "lifts his near leg, and drives his near ft down" into the man's face, according to the affidavit. Blood is disposable connected the man's rima "within seconds."

According to the affidavit, Huxley tin beryllium heard successful different officer's body-worn camera video saying, "I accidentally kicked him successful his face. I was attempting to enactment my ft connected his shoulder, and I accidentally kicked him successful his face."

You tin ticker the video released by IMPD below. Note: This video contains graphic content.

IMPD assemblage cam video

Taylor has suspended Huxley without pay, IMPD Lt. Shane Foley said. The different officers progressive successful the incidental are connected administrative duties portion the interior probe is ongoing.

Taylor has recommended that the section occurrence Huxley. He besides ordered a reappraisal of past usage of unit incidents by each 3 officers progressive successful the case.

According to the affidavit, Jermaine Vaughn, the antheral who was stomped connected by Huxley, told detectives that helium was "practicing his First Amendment close to escaped speech" astatine Indianapolis' Monument Circle connected Sept. 24 erstwhile constabulary were called to the country to woody with a "disruptive person."

Vaughn, who told a detective Thursday that he's been experiencing homelessness for astir a year, alleged that the serviceman was wrong his conveyance and they spoke peacefully, according to the affidavit. The serviceman got retired of his car, and the antheral said helium heard the serviceman asking for assistance.

He told the detective helium continued to speech and outcry erstwhile the serviceman asked him to permission the area, according to the affidavit. When helium started walking towards his bags, 2 much officers arrived. While Vaughn and 1 of the officers were yelling astatine each other, the serviceman told the antheral helium was "under arrest."

While Vaughn turned astir to let the serviceman to handcuff him, helium was inactive yelling astatine the officers, according to the affidavit. One serviceman was holding connected to him by the loop successful his pants, truthful helium wasn't capable to backmost up erstwhile an serviceman pushed him back, sending him to the ground.

That's erstwhile assemblage camera footage shows Huxley stomp connected Vaughn's face, resulting successful a chopped lip.

Taylor was notified of the incidental connected Oct. 6 and instantly ordered an investigation, Foley said.

"I promised this assemblage and I committedness officers that I volition beryllium transparent — and that's successful bully times and atrocious times," Taylor said. "This is simply a atrocious time, but I deliberation the assemblage deserves it."

He said helium understands immoderate would beryllium upset aft watching the video.

"I recognize aft watching this video there's going to beryllium immoderate radical who are upset, and we'll anticipation to mend those fences wherever we can," Taylor said. "My apology not lone goes retired to the men and women of IMPD that bash it close but each different instrumentality enforcement serviceman successful this authorities and successful this state due to the fact that I cognize these videos they're seeing, there's going beryllium radical that are going say, 'That's what they're each like.' Well, fto maine archer you, that's not what they're each like. We'll get done this."

In a connection released aft Tuesday morning's property conference, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the footage released is "deeply troubling" and "unacceptable from instrumentality enforcement successful our city."

"I commend Chief Taylor's punctual response, arsenic good arsenic the department's continued committedness to transparency arsenic they question due accountability for the serviceman involved," Hogsett said successful the statement. "This incidental underscores the value of continuing to physique assemblage trust, and reinforces our resoluteness to support investments successful the reforms, training, and exertion that guarantee accountability to the precocious standards of behaviour expected by Indianapolis residents."

Indianapolis City-County Council President Vop Osili, D-District 11, said helium condemns the actions of Huxley seen successful the video and offered his sympathies to the man.

"As a subordinate of the Council, I privation to convey Chief Taylor for moving collaboratively with the Council connected expanding transparency, including done implementation of the body-worn cameras that captured this horrendous action," Osili said. "I americium committed to moving with IMPD enactment successful the coming twelvemonth to found the aboriginal informing strategy funded this summertime to observe and basal retired specified problematic behavior."

Indianapolis City-County Council Public Safety Committee Chair Leroy Robinson, D-District 1, released the pursuing statement.

"It is with large sadness that we each witnessed the IMPD assemblage worn camera footage of the incidental involving 1 of our stateless neighbors," Robinson said. "We are thankful that the gentlemen is recovering good from his injuries and arsenic thankful for the swift effect from our Chief of Police and our Marion County Prosecutor. The Council's concern successful assemblage worn cameras is rapidly providing the overmuch needed transparency that our assemblage has been pushing for."

You tin watch the property league below here:

This communicative was primitively published by Andrew Smith and Alyssa Donovan connected Scripps presumption WRTV successful Indianapolis.