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Muncie Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Misprision of Felony for Concealing Crime Committed by Another Officer
A disturbing case of police corruption came to light in Muncie, Indiana, as Officer Dalton Kurtz pleaded guilty to misprision of felony for concealing a crime committed by his fellow officer, Chase Winkle.
According to court documents, on June 5, 2018, Kurtz and Officer Winkle responded to a call involving three juveniles who had fled from officers after crashing a vehicle into a building. Kurtz and Winkle chased after one of the juveniles on foot and found him lying face down in a yard, with his arms extended in front of him. While the juvenile was lying with his hands visible and outstretched in front of him, Officer Winkle ran toward the juvenile and kicked him in the head without justification.
Kurtz knew that Officer Winkle’s actions constituted a felony, but failed to notify anyone of the crime, and instead took the affirmative step of concealing his knowledge of this felony by writing a false report about the incident.
The FBI conducted the investigation and charged Kurtz with one count of misprision of felony. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for this offense.
Chase Winkle was previously charged, along with other officers, with civil rights and obstruction offenses. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in January 2022.
The prosecution of this case is a significant step towards holding police officers accountable for their actions and ensuring that the public can trust the law enforcement agencies that are sworn to protect them.
Defendant: Dalton Kurtz
Criminal Charge: Misprision of Felony
City and State: Muncie, Indiana
Date: June 5, 2018
Sentence: Faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison
Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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