Deputy fired as he’s arrested for sexual battery, strangulation
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Monroe County deputy has been fired as he was arrested Friday on preliminary felony charges of sexual battery, strangulation, official misconduct, and obstruction of justice, the Indiana State Police and the sheriff’s office say.
Jeffery L. Freeman Jr., 29, of Greencastle, had been a probationary deputy since March 10. He had previously worked as a jailer at the Putnam County jail in Greencastle, a merit deputy for the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and a jailer for the Monroe County jail.
A news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation involves Freeman’s alleged official misconduct while on duty on Wednesday.
A state police investigation started after the Columbus Police Department received a late Wednesday night report of sexual battery to a female in Bartholomew County. State police detectives on Thursday met with the female, and notified Monroe County Sheriff Ruben Marté of the allegations against Freeman. The sheriff’s staff then informed state police of “a second policy violation involving Freeman and another female subject,” said state police news release issued Friday. The state police says its detectives are investigating both violations.
State police did not provide any additional details on the “violations.”
Online court records on Friday afternoon showed no case filed for Freeman.
Freeman on Friday afternoon was booked into the Monroe County jail and later was transferred to the Morgan County jail in Martinsville.
State police also asked that anyone who had interactions with Freeman that may have violated Indiana law to contact detectives at the Bloomington post at 812-332-4411.
![Use Search Bars Above To Search Crime Data](https://wishtv.com/wp-content/themes/wishtv-2022/assets/img/crime_map_s.png)