Utica police officer fired for mishandling controlled substances
The Clark County Prosecutor is reviewing investigations to determine if charges will be filed.
The Clark County Prosecutor is reviewing investigations to determine if charges will be filed.
The Clark County Prosecutor is reviewing investigations to determine if charges will be filed.
A Utica police officer has been terminated following an investigation into the mishandling of evidence.
The officer, who has not been named, was dismissed on May 1 after what officials describe as a "lapse of judgment."
Joe Jarles, Utica Township Fire Board President, explained that the incident came to light when a volunteer cleaning and renovating a fire station noticed a tote bag near a police car that smelled like marijuana.
"The car was broken down맥스카지노the police officer was switching to another car," Jarles said. "He unloaded his car and apparently set this tote next to it, and during the shuffle, I think he just forgot that it was there."
The Indiana State Police were called to investigate and reportedly found drug paraphernalia, suspected THC butter, and plant material in plastic bags. According to Jarles, the marijuana had been seized during a traffic stop where no charges were filed.
"My understanding was that there was some marijuana that had been seized in a traffic stop where no charges were filed, and he kept it to train the K-9," he said.
In a statement, Utica Police Chief Randy Burton said, "An investigation revealed multiple violations of department policies and procedures concerning the handling and storage of suspected controlled substances."
The officer's actions were deemed a breach of protocol, leading to his dismissal.
Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull noted that the officer could still face charges.
"When a police officer does something that is clearly unwise or wrong or possibly illegal, you have to make that call as a prosecutor. Was this a mistake or was it a crime?" Mull said.
Jarles expressed that while he does not believe the officer had ill intentions, the mistake was significant.
"It's a job where they can't really make any mistakes맥스카지노and, in this case, it was a lapse of judgment," he said.