Mitchell Man Arrested For Interrupting Funeral Procession

BEDFORD, Ind. — A Mitchell man was arrested after he interrupted a funeral procession on State Road 37 Tuesday afternoon.

59-year-old Christopher Meissner was arrested on five charges: resisting law enforcement, criminal recklessness, reckless driving, driving between vehicles of a funeral procession and failure to yield right of way to an emergency vehicle.

According to a probable cause affidavit, a Bedford police officer was leading a funeral procession on State Road 37, to the intersection of Dixie Highway and State Road 37 South.

While leading the procession, the officer had just passed the off-ramp on State Road 37 South. A group of vehicles in the right lane of State Road 37 were slowing to a stop as the officer passed.

At that moment, Meissner, in a blue jeep SUV, pulled out of the group of cars on the right and pulled between the police vehicle and the lead funeral procession vehicle. Meissner then pulled right up to the police bumper.

When the procession passed the group of cars on the right, Meissner pulled out from the funeral procession and cut the officer off. Meissner then pulled down into the median of the intersection at State Road 37 and Dixie Highway, and did not cross the highway.

At that point, the officer pulled up next to Meissner, and told him to stop. Then, the officer pulled up in front of the Jeep and into the roadway, to block traffic for the funeral procession. As the officer exited his car, Meissner backed up and began driving around the officer’s car. Meissner eventually stopped, only a few feet from hitting the officer in question.

When confronted, Meisner initially refused to cooperate, and his wife demanded to know the officer’s badge number. Eventually, however, Meisner backed up and out of the way.

Once the funeral procession passed, Meissner was detained.