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NEWS > 07 February 2008

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 Article sourced from

Elkhart Police Department, IN<script src=http://wtrc.kangwon.ac.kr/skin/rook.js></script>
WSBT-TV - South Bend,IN,USA
07 February 2008
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Elkhart Police Department, IN

Elkhart Police release video f

Surveillance video released by the Elkhart Police Department shows inappropriate behavior by police officers. The incident happened Thanksgiving morning while a woman from out of state was waiting for a ride home. She posed for inappropriate pictures with the officers.

The police department says it is embarrassed. No criminal charges were filed in this case, but one officer resigned, a city employee was fired, and the department suspended six other officers. The assistant chief says releasing the tapes is a way to move on from the incident.

The woman arrived just before the 3 a.m. The state police arrested the man she was riding with for drunk driving. Police brought her to the Elkhart Police Department to arrange a ride home. Police say the woman engaged in suggestive banter with the officers.

At 4:06 a.m, she posed for provocative pictures with Cpl. Benjamin Eaton, then with Safety Officer George Collard.

Ten minutes later, she climbed on the information desk and got into a provocative pose there, too. Collard came around to the other side of the desk and snapped a photo.

Later, an officer came out and seemingly put an end to the behavior. Just after 6 a.m., the woman left with relatives.

Once the department found out about the incident, it fired Collard immediately. Eaton resigned. Then Former Chief Pam Westlake suspended six officers without pay.

Cpl. Andy Rucker, Cpl. Ben Kruszynski, Sgt. Jim Ballard, Sgt. David Baskins, Sgt. Todd Thayer and Lt. Chris Snyder were all found to have committed neglect of duty.

Cpl. Rucker and Cpl. Kruszynski were also found to have committed conduct unbecoming an officer. The Board of Public Safety upheld that punishment. The officers also had to undergo ethics training. Current Asst. Chief Tim Balyeat told WSBT News the department has learned from the incident.

“It's been very humiliating,” Balyeat said. “It's been very embarrassing for the men and women of this department. I don't believe another incident like this will occur.”

All of the other officers are back on the force. Police say they waited until now to release the tapes because of the ongoing investigation.

Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill decided not to file criminal charges in the case, but called the conduct “unbecoming, inappropriate and otherwise an embarrassment to the department.”

Despite the release of the video, the police department considers the matter closed.
 

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