MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — A former Muncie Police Department officer pleaded guilty to eleven civil rights and obstruction charges Monday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Chase Winkle, 35, pleaded guilty to five federal civil rights offenses for assaulting arrestees, and to six obstruction offenses for writing false reports to cover up results.
In March 2018, Winkle knocked a man in the abdomen, causing him to fall backwards into a chain link fence behind him. When the man tried to steady himself against the fence, Winkle kicked him again, knocking him unconscious.
Winkle then wrote a false report about the incident.
In June 2018, Winkle arrested two minors after attempting to stop them at a traffic stop. Winkle kicked and punched one of the minors in the head. He then slapped the other minor in the face.
Winkle then wrote a false report about the incident.
In August 2018, Winkle and another officer arrested a man. The man was lying on the ground and verbally assaulted the officers.
In response to the insult, Winkle put his full bodyweight on the man’s neck using his knee. The man screamed in pain and yelled that “Winkle had crushed his face,” according to the Department of Justice.
Winkle then used a stun gun on the man causing several facial fractures that required surgery.
Winkle then wrote a false report about the incident.
According to court docs, in Feb. 2019, Winkle and another officer responded to the scene of a traffic stop and ordered the driver to step out of his vehicle.
He complied, but was stuck in his seatbelt. As the man pulled the seatbelt off of his body, Winkle punched the man in the face and took him to the ground.
Winkle then handcuffed the man and used his knee to strike the man in the stomach four times.
Winkle then wrote a false report about the incident.
In May 2019, Winkle and another officer responded to the scene of a traffic stop.
When the driver stepped out of the car, the other officer attempted to take the driver to the ground and punched him several times. As the other officer tried to secure the driver, Winkle struck the man with his knee several times.
Winkle then wrote a false report about the incident.
“Winkle admitted that he knew at the time of the incidents that his uses of force against the arrestees were unjustified and unreasonable under the circumstances. He further admitted that he wrote false reports about what happened, including making false statements and material omissions, in order to influence any potential investigations into the incidents,” the Department of Justice said.
Winkle is one of four Muncie Police Department officers who were indicted in April 2021 in a 17-count superseding indictment for their roles in using excessive force against arrestees and attempting to cover up misconduct.
