PLAINFIELD — A Plainfield police officer has resigned after an investigation into a pursuit crash that left two people dead in August.
On August 30, Plainfield Police Department officers responded to a report of a person down at Long John Silvers in the 2300 block of East Main Street just before 6 p.m.
According to police, 38-year-old Bryan Goodmon, of Fillmore, Indiana, was possibly impaired and sitting inside his car at the restaurant.
When a Plainfield officer approached Goodmon, police say he drove away, nearly hitting an officer with his car.
The officer began pursuing the vehicle with his police lights on, according to PPD.
During the chase, Goodmon drove through the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and Smith Road. Once he had passed, a gray Ford pulled out into the intersection, and the pursuing officer struck the vehicle.
The occupants of the Ford, identified as Barbara and Bennie Williams, died at the scene.
Goodman was arrested and faces multiple felonies.
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The officer involved, a 5-year veteran, was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in an investigation.
The crash was investigated by both the Avon Police Department and Plainfield Police Department to determine if the officer followed departmental policies and procedures.
According to the Plainfield Police Department Policy Manual, officers must follow a procedure when electing to begin or continue a pursuit.
The manual states:
Officers shall drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and property. However, officers may, when in pursuit of a suspect and provided there is no unreasonable risk to persons and property (I.C. § 9-21-1-8): (a) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation. (b) Exceed the speed limit. (c) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions. (d) Park or stand in the roadway.
The manual also says an officer must weigh the risk of public safety.
Both Avon and Plainfield police departments concurred that "due regard was not used." Following the conclusion of the internal investigation, PPD said the officer has resigned from the department.
“We understand that this has been a challenging and emotional time for our community, and we deeply appreciate your patience and trust throughout this process,” said Chief of Police, Kyle Prewitt. “It is imperative that we preserve the integrity of our investigations and uphold the values of our department. Our commitment remains to be a police department that our community can be proud of.”
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