by Kendall Downing
INDIANAPOLIS - An Indianapolis
Metropolitan police officer faces 13 charges related to a criminal
investigation.
IMPD officer Cory Owensby is
suspended without pay, and Chief Rick Hite said Thursday afternoon he’s pushing
for termination. A special grand jury indicted the officer on 13 counts,
including official misconduct, criminal conversion, and false informing.
Prosecutors believe Owensby
mishandled evidence and even withheld it from IMPD’s property room.
Owensby is the son of Fraternal
Order of Police Local 86 President Bill Owensby.
The indictments detail alleged
criminal action through 2012 and 2013.
The IMPD Civilian Police Merit
Board will decide Owensby’s fate as an officer of the law.
“In keeping on policy based on
these type charges, it’s a view toward termination,” said Chief Rick Hite.
The thirteen counts include
eight misdemeanors and five felonies after an investigation showed Owensby
failed to put evidence in IMPD’s property room.
A steel axe, marijuana, a
marijuana pipe/rolling papers, and pills are among the evidentiary items
alleged to have been taken. The indictments also state Owensby gave false
information in some cases.
“We are looking at what the
impact has been, but it wasn’t a widespread kind of case where we can show chapter
and verse there were multiple cases impacted. And at this point, we’re still
looking into that,” said Hite.
Hite said IMPD is still
investigating how many cases may be affected.
“It certainly raises concerns
for any type of investigation that may be pending,” said Marla Thomas, a
criminal defense attorney.
Thomas said it’s almost a
certainty lawyers in town will be checking their clients’ cases to see if
Owensby is listed as an investigating officer. Thomas said the indictments will
turn up the heat on any matter he’s handled.
“We have a lot of very good officers
in the city, even I will say that as a criminal defense attorney. However, the
bad ones tend to get the press and be the ones that cause us to have concerns,”
she said.
Chief Hite said IMPD’s internal
affairs investigation first caught the questionable behavior. He also says
there are changes underway in the way records are managed.
Owensby was placed on
suspension without pay pending a termination hearing before the IMPD Civilian
Police Merit Board.
Owensby’s attorney John
Kautzman said as of Thursday night