IMPD officers indicted after violent curfew arrest on May 31

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department have been indicted after a violent curfew arrest on May 31.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced charges against the officers on Wednesday. Mears says a Marion County Grand Jury indicted the officers.

Officers Jonathan Horlock and Nathaniel Schauwecker each face multiple charges.

Horlock, an officer of five years, faces charges of:

• Battery resulting in serious bodily injury
• Battery resulting in moderate bodily injury
• Battery resulting in bodily injury
• Perjury
• Obstruction of justice
• Official misconduct

Court documents reveal that Horlock faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges for making false statements about one of the women hitting an IMPD sergeant.

Schauwecker, an officer of eight years, faces charges of:

• Battery by means of a deadly weapon
• Battery resulting in moderate bodily injury
• Battery resulting in bodily injury (two counts)
• Official misconduct (two counts)

The prosecutor’s office says the grand jury consisted of 6 grand jurors and an alternate, all of who reside in Marion County.

The initial court hearings for both Horlock and Schauwecker have been set for Aug. 20.

Video captured by News 8’s Richard Essex on the evening of May 31 showed IMPD officers strike and shove two women who were out past curfew, which had been instituted after two nights of rioting and civil unrest in the city by Mayor Joe Hogsett. The arrests occurred about 45 minutes after the 8 p.m. curfew.

Ivoré Westfield, one of the women in the video, was struck multiple times with pepper balls and batons. Rachel Harding was shoved to the ground after asking “why her” as Westfield was being struck.

Lawyers for the women say they didn’t know each other prior to the protests and that Harding had agreed to give Westfield a ride home.

A federal lawsuit was filed on their behalf in late June.

The day after News 8 aired the video of the arrests, IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said the use of force would be reviewed.

“While I don’t have enough information yet for disciplinary actions, I can tell you that this type of incident is exactly the type of incident that the new use of force review board we are creating is aimed at reviewing,” Taylor said at the time.

Following the indictment, Taylor released this statement:

“I hold great respect for our criminal justice system and have faith that this process will deliver a just outcome. These officers will remain on administrative duty with no police authority. While our internal investigation will continue, it is my intention to address our administrative review of the officer conduct at the conclusion of the ongoing criminal prosecution.”

IMPD Chief Randal Taylor

Below is the Marion County prosecutor’s news conference. App views can go online to view it.