by Christian Sheckler, South Bend Tribune, and Ken Armstrong, ProPublica
This article was produced in partnership with the South Bend Tribune, a member of ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network.
For the last two weeks, the police chief in Elkhart, Indiana, has
been a no-show at various forums where he might have been expected to
appear, from civilian oversight board hearings to town hall meetings
focusing on the city’s Police Department.
On Tuesday, Mayor Tim Neese confirmed what others had been left to
wonder: He had suspended the police chief, Ed Windbigler, placing him on
a 30-day unpaid leave. The suspension started Nov. 14, but Neese had
made no public announcement. A South Bend Tribune reporter had left
repeated messages at City Hall on Monday, asking about the police
chief’s status.
Instead of returning the reporter’s messages, Neese went on television Tuesday morning
and mentioned, in passing, that the department’s second in command was
now serving as interim chief. The television station, WNDU, then
reported Windbigler’s suspension for the first time.
The suspension comes after the Tribune, working with ProPublica,
obtained a video of two Elkhart police officers punching a handcuffed
man in the face. Initially, the officers only received reprimands from
Windbigler rather than more serious punishment. After the news
organizations requested the video, the officers were charged with
misdemeanor battery.
Click here for the full article.
Source: ProPublica
No comments:
Post a Comment