Sandy MaloneIndianapolis, IN – Two Indianapolis police officers were indicted by a Marion County grand jury on Wednesday in connection with their use of force on protesters in May (video below).
The incident occurred during riots in the city on May 31 over the death of 46-year-old George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police six days earlier, WXIN reported.
WISH captured video of several Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers attempting to take two female protesters into custody for violating the city’s 8 p.m. emergency curfew that was put into place after two nights of rioting left parts of the city utterly destroyed.
When the video began, more police were arriving on the scene at the street corner where an officer was trying to take Ivoré Westfield into custody.
Her friend, Rachel Harding, stood nearby in the video screaming at the officer trying to handcuff her struggling friend.
Another officer was putting someone in handcuffs near a group of people about 25 feet down the sidewalk, the video showed.
Officers in riot gear carrying pepper ball guns yelled at protesters to stop as they arrived.
Westfield began resisting arrest when the additional officers arrived on the scene, the video showed.
The video showed Westfield began struggling and pulled away from the officer who was detaining her.
An officer with a pepper ball gun immediately deployed three rounds at Westfield from about 10 feet away.
Two officers moved in simultaneously and began striking her with their batons as they ordered her to get on the ground, the video showed.
The officer with the pepper balls shot four more of the less-lethal rounds at Westfield and officers were eventually able to push the woman down onto the pavement and put her in handcuffs, the video showed.
Meantime, Harding repeatedly screamed “why her?” at officers as she attempted to interfere in the arrest.
The video showed an officer gave the purple-haired woman a shove back and told her to back up but she ignored him.
So another officer gave Harding a two-handed shove that landed her on her butt, but she never stopped screaming at officers, the video showed.
Harding resisted being put in handcuffs but the video showed additional officers arrived on the scene to assist.
IMPD said the women were arrested for curfew violation, WIBC reported.
The community was outraged when video of the violent arrest went viral.
On Aug. 7, IMPD Chief Randal Taylor identified the officers involved in the incident as 20-year IMPD veteran Sergeant David Kinsey, 18-year veteran Officer Conrad Simpson, five-year veteran Officer Johnathan, and eight-year veteran Officer Nathanial Schauwecker, WXIN reported.
Westfield and Harding filed a lawsuit that named all four officers as defendants.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears held a press conference on Aug. 12 to announce the indictments against Officer Schauwecker and Officer Horlock, WXIN reported.
Mears said that Officer Horlock had been indicted on charges of felony battery, felony perjury, felony obstruction of justice, and felony official misconduct.
The prosecutor said Officer Schauwecker was facing charges that included felony battery and two counts of felony official misconduct, according to WXIN.
Chief Taylor had already placed Officers Horlock and Schauwecker on administrative leave pending the completion of the investigation into the incident before they were indicted, but said he would reserve judgement regarding their terminations until after their trials.
“I hold great respect for our criminal justice system and have faith that this process will deliver a just outcome,” the chief said. “These officers will remain on administrative duty with no police authority. While our internal investigation will continue, it is my intention to address our administrative review of the officer conduct at the conclusion of the ongoing criminal prosecution.”
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. WARNING – Graphic Violence:
Holly Matkin