INDIANAPOLIS – The attorney for the two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers said the indictments are driven by a “misguided motive to criminalize legitimate police action.”
Officers Jonathan Horlock and Nathaniel Schauwecker face battery and official misconduct charges, while Horlock faces additional charges of obstruction of justice and perjury.
A grand jury indicted the two officers earlier this month. The charges stem from an arrest that took place during the protests in Indianapolis in late May and early June.
The two civilian women involved in the arrest, Ivore Westfield and Rachel Harding, have since filed a lawsuit against four IMPD officers.
PREVIOUS | Two IMPD officers face charges after protest arrest | Excessive force lawsuit filed against IMPD for protest arrests
Video of the arrest of one of the women went viral after the incident. The video shows IMPD officers repressing a woman with batons and pepper bullets. In the video, another woman is also seen being pushed to the ground by officers before she was apprehended.
“These officers took action that was consistent with their police training and procedures, and more importantly, consistent with the law,” Attorney John Kautzman said. “But they now find themselves targets of a movement that seeks to defund the police and seeks to target cops.”
Kautzman declined to discuss strategy for the case or evidence that may come up during a trial.
He said the two officers have never faced criminal charges before and are exemplary officers.
Watch the full press conference below:
