April 01, 2019 - 12:06 PM
ELKHART, Ind. - Two Indiana police officers who were caught on video repeatedly punching a handcuffed man have been placed on unpaid administrative leave.
A federal grand jury last month indicted Cory Newland and Joshua Titus of the Elkhart Police Department on a charge of depriving Mario Ledesma of his rights through excessive force. Police video shows them punching Ledesma after he spat at Newland while sitting handcuffed in a chair at the police station in January 2018.
Newland and Titus had been on paid leave since November and pleaded not guilty to separate state charges.
The Elkhart Truth reports that members of the Elkhart Board of Public Safety agreed Monday to place the two on unpaid administrative leave.
Elkhart is in northern Indiana, 100 miles (160 kilometres) east of Chicago.
___
Information from: The Elkhart Truth, http://www.elkharttruth.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2019