A St. Joseph County Police officer is facing criminal recklessness charges stemming from a shooting during a trespassing call in May.
A grand jury indicted Officer Craig Swanson on two felony counts and one misdemeanor count.
Police were called to the 52000 block of Hastings Street around 8:20 a.m. on May 11 for a report of unwanted people or trespassing. Investigators say one person ran from officers and was later taken into custody. At about the same time, a vehicle carrying two people left the area, and Swanson fired his weapon. No one was struck.
The vehicle led officers on a pursuit before all of those involved were detained. No officers or civilians were injured.
South Bend Police led the outside investigation under an agreement involving South Bend, Mishawaka and St. Joseph County Police. Swanson is now on unpaid administrative leave as the criminal case and an internal department investigation continue.
4 comments
Criminal charges to me seem a bad idea. Fire the Officer for not following policy But to send him to jail with a felony ? How demoralizing to other Police We are not put into split second decisions as they are
agree
I agree with Mr. Kriegel. To keep someone dangling, unpaid, is “cruel and unusual” punishment for a “crime” that they have not been convicted. Pay the man, while on leave, investigate, then act based on the facts of the case.
The entire point of these “use of force” restrictions is to force exactly this scenario. Every time one of these “independent” group does a “free” audit to “help” a police department, it always trends the same way.
They need to force officers out of the field, so they can ride the chaos into more power.