MUNCIE — WRTV Investigates has obtained body camera footage that was crucial in the FBI’s investigation into former Muncie Police Officers for use of excessive force and attempting to cover it up.
In the video, they arrested a man named Manny Montero in May 2018.
WATCH | Raw footage of the arrest of Manny Montero
The Montero incident prompted a federal investigation and indictments of former Muncie Police Officers.
Former Muncie Police Officers Jeremy Gibson and Chase Winkle have been convicted of assaulting Montero and writing a false report about it.
Winkle is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence and Gibson is serving a 14-month sentence.
It’s the first time this video has been seen publicly, and WRTV is showing it to you because all the criminal cases for all former Muncie Police officers are now resolved.
WARNING: Some viewers may find the following bodycam content disturbing
On May 13, 2018, Manny Montero was headed to the store with his brother Daniel when Muncie Police officers pulled them over for a broken headlight.
Montero was in the driver’s seat and his brother was in the passenger seat.
Officers requested a drug K-9.
Montero: Why are you searching my car for?
K-9 Officer: I’m not searching your car. I’m doing an exterior vehicle sniff.
As the dog walked around the car, the body camera footage showed Montero’s brother started talking to the officers standing by.
Officers: Look forward!
Daniel Montero: Oh, I can’t look a certain way? Because, that’s against the law right?
A minute later, Officer Winkle ordered the brother out of the car.
Winkle: You’ve been running your mouth the whole time.
Daniel Montero: You’re going to beat my ass and s**t?
Federal prosecutors say Manny Montero picked up a cellphone from the console and started recording his brother’s interactions with officers— and that’s when officers instructed Montero to get out of the car.
The body camera footage showed Gibson punched Montero as Montero fell to the ground.
The video also showed Winkle walked up and deployed a taser on Montero.
Montero: What the f**k? Oh my god!!
The footage also revealed Winkle punching Montero and using his knees to strike Montero’s upper body.
Montero: Oh my god! OK! OK! OK!
Winkle used what appeared to be a baton to hit him more, which is when Montero started to apologize.
Montero: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
Officer: Put your other hand back here.
Officer: You’re f**king stupid. Put your hand behind your back.
Montero: I can’t!
Officer: Stop fighting mother f**ker!
Montero: Ahhh, please!! I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.
Officer: If you can breathe, you’re talking, shut the f**k up!
Officers handcuffed Montero.
Gibson: This would have gone a lot smoother if you had just f**king cooperated.
Montero: I’m sorry! It won’t happen again! I’m sorry! Please!
After about five minutes, officers helped Montero onto his feet.
Paramedics put Montero onto a stretcher and an ambulance transported him to the hospital.
The photo below shows his face after he was arrested.
He was eventually transferred to a hospital in Indianapolis and had surgery.
"A bunch of facial fractures, broken ribs, I really can't see well,” Montero said. “I have PTSD. It's definitely changed my life."
Montero spoke with WRTV in 2021 after he won a $250,000 settlement after suing the City of Muncie.
WATCH | Manny Montero wins $250,000 settlement
“I just wanted to see my family,” said Montero in 2021. “I was scared. I thought i was going to die. I thought they were going to kill me. I'd never been so scared in my life."
Body camera footage showed Gibson talking about the Montero incident afterward.
“I'm telling him turn and face the car and he's getting in my face and s**t so I f**king turned him around,” said Gibson. “He starts pushing back off the car. So I go to grab him in a shoulder pin, took him to the ground and that's when the real scuffle begins."
The videos also revealed Winkle joking with fellow officers about accidentally deploying a TASER on another officer.
Indianapolis attorney Rob King provided the body camera footage to WRTV Investigates.
King said when Montero resisted, he was fighting for his life.
"His hand movements are largely defensive,” said Montero.
Montero represented another victim of Muncie police brutality, Lonnie Gannom, and King obtained the videos through the Gannom’s civil lawsuit’s discovery process.
"There's a common theme,” said King. “There's a beating. The subjects are begging for their lives."
Former Muncie Police Officers Jeremy Gibson and Chase Winkle have been convicted of assaulting Montero and writing a false report about it.
They were both sentenced to time in federal prison.
WATCH | Two ex-Muncie police officers sentenced in excessive force case
Montero’s wish for justice came true.
“I hope they get convicted,” said Montero in 2021. “Chase Winkle and Gibson especially. They need to pay for what they did."
Body camera footage shows Sgt. Joseph Krejsa and Officer Corey Posey at the scene in May 2018, however, they were not charged in the Manny Montero incident.
Sgt. Krejsa pleaded guilty to writing a false report about a different case.
Krejsa is currently serving a 19-month sentence at FCI Gilmer, a medium security federal prison in West Virginia with an adjacent minimum security camp.
Corey Posey was charged with writing a false report about a different case involving suspect Lonnie Gannom. A jury found him not guilty.
A fifth officer, Dalton Kurtz, pleaded guilty to writing false reports stemming from a case involving juveniles.
Kurtz served prison time and was released in February 2024.
As for Montero, he chose not to speak with us about the body camera footage, but he did send us an email.
"Are you planning on showing it on the news? I hope you do so people see what they did,” Montero wrote in an email to WRTV.
Prosecutors dropped criminal charges against Montero for improper headlight and resisting law enforcement.
Since the FBI's investigation began into Muncie Police Department, the city has changed its administration.
Mayor Dan Ridenour took over in 2020 and appointed Nathan Sloan as Muncie Police Chief.
WRTV Investigates requested an on-camera interview with the mayor and police chief to talk about how the city is moving forward now that the federal government's case is resolved.
Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan issued a statement following Posey's acquittal that said that the department is "relieved" the matter has "finally been resolved and that justice was served."
"Special thanks to the jurors on this and all cases who work diligently to find the truth," read Sloan's statement. "We consider the matters of past administrations to be closed as the Muncie Police Department is a fundamentally different organization focusing on the needs of Muncie and Delaware County."
