Greenwood Police officer suspended, arrested at party



JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - A Greenwood Police Officer has been suspended following his arrest in a disturbance at a party early New Year's Day.
39 year old Joseph Rodriguez has been suspended for five days without pay and faces possible further sanctions before the Greenwood Merit Commission.
Rodriguez was off duty when he was arrested by the Johnson County Sheriffs Department following a disturbance at a party.
Rodriguez faces charges of Battery on two Police Officers, Resisting Law Enforcement, Public Intoxication, Strangulation and Battery against his wife.
Shortly after 1 a.m. police were called to the 4400 block of Diamond Ridge in Hickory Stick to a disturbance.
One caller told dispatchers the off duty police officer was throwing punches and was out of control.
According to the police report, Rodriguez was found laying in the roadway, intoxicated and bleeding from the face.
When officers attempted to assist him, Rodriguez reportedly became combative, punching one deputy in the face.
Medics were called to the scene and  police say Rodriguez kicked them also.
Joey Rodriguez was strapped to a gurney and taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
As officers investigated what led up to the incident, witnesses said Rodriguez became intoxicated and got out of control.
A pair of witnesses told officers Rodriguez had been choking his wife and one of them attempted to intervene by punching Rodriguez twice until he released his wife.
The police report states an officer secured a handgun that had been removed from Rodriguez before police arrived.
Rodriguez is being held on $150,000 bond.
Greenwood Police Chief John Laut has contacted the Greenwood Police Merit Commission to request an executive session to discuss further disciplinary action against Officer Rodriguez..  The Chief of Police can only suspend an employee for up to five days.