Center Township constable releases video from grocery store confrontation
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Center Township Constable Denise Hatch (D) released body camera video that captured a confrontation between her, a Kroger security guard, and multiple employees.
Hatch is accused of taking a bag of fresh broccoli from the store after employees declined a return on old, rotten produce.
A special prosecutor in Hancock County filed official misconduct and theft charges for the August incident in February.
The eight minutes of body camera video from a Washington Township Constable, who was acting as a security guard at the store, starts outside of the Kroger at 4445 E. 10th St.
Hatch tells an employee and the security guard to “lock her up” before she verbally confronts the Kroger employee.
“It’s a stupid policy,” Hatch said. “You’re bringing back vegetables, which is going to go in the trash.”
“It’s not that big of a deal ma’am,” said a store employee with the nametag Damon.
Hatch left the store three minutes into the video.
Two employees explained that Hatch brought rotten produce to exchange without a receipt and attempted to leave with fresh broccoli before the confrontation.
“So, she went to the customer service desk to ask for a refund or an exchange and I told her I can only do that with a receipt because clearly this was not bought today, yesterday, the day before,” said an employee identified as Josh on the video. “Like, just because you left vegetables sitting in your fridge for a month does not mean it is my responsibility to replace them.”
The security guard spoke with two other employees. They said Hatch used her position as a constable in the argument.
“She was over there telling somebody, some lady, that nobody can arrest her,” an employee identified as Leann said. “She is like a sheriff. She was just saying all sorts of things. She comes in all upset.”
Finally, the security guard spoke to a woman with a nametag that said Damona who also said Hatch brought up her position during this confrontation.
“She said she’s the constable or something,” said Damona.
“And she was just going to walk off with the vegetables?” asked the the security guard.
“Yeah and she was walking off,” said Damona.
Online court records show the pretrial conference is scheduled for April 23.
Hatch also faces three additional charges from a separate case where she is accused of assisting a criminal. She is charged with official misconduct, attempting to assist a criminal, and attempting to resist law enforcement in that case.