MUNCIE, Ind. — A former Muncie police officer pleaded guilty in connection with a federal investigation into other officers using excessive force.
Dalton Kurtz, 32, pleaded guilty in federal court in Indianapolis to one count of misprision of felony for concealing and failing to report when another officer, Chase Winkle, used excessive force.
The incident happened in 2018 when Kurtz and Winkle were called to an incident where three juveniles ran from police after crashing a vehicle into a building.
Kurtz and Winkle caught up to one of the juveniles, who Winkle allegedly kicked in the head despite the boy lying facedown on the ground with his hands out in front of him. Instead of reporting Winkle, Kurtz wrote a false report to protect him.
Winkle was previously indicted, along with other officers, with civil rights and obstruction of justice offenses. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in January 2022.
Kurtz will face a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
