A Chesterton Police officer who had been on paid administrative leave will now receive no pay because of his recent arrest on two felony charges in Portage.
Chesterton’s Police Commission on Thursday unanimously decided to switch Cpl. Ryan Joseph Miller to unpaid status leave.
Miller, 32, was charged with two Level 5 felonies of domestic battery and strangulation, which accuse him of assaulting a pregnant woman at his Portage residence on New Year’s Eve. The woman was 25 weeks pregnant at the time.
Chesterton Police Chief Tim Richardson in early December had placed Miller on paid leave. The chief wouldn’t state the reason why, citing the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act law that restricts the release of information.
During his initial hearing Monday in Porter Superior Court, Miller revealed that he had been recently diagnosed with a mental health issue. He has pleaded not guilty and is free after posting a $2,000 cash bond.
Judge Jeffrey Clymer of Porter Superior Court 2 on Tuesday appointed Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter to serve as a special prosecutor in the case, according to an online court docket.
Police Commission members before Thursday’s meeting met in closed session to discuss Miller’s case.
Richardson told the commission that under Indiana Code, they are entrusted with making the decision after an arrest about whether an officer would be placed on paid or unpaid administrative leave.
Commission member Mike Orlich proposed that Miller be put on unpaid leave and the other two commission members agreed in a voice vote. Commission members made no further comment.
In other business, the commission learned two veteran law enforcement officers who are serving elsewhere have accepted offers to join the Chesterton police force.
Christopher Manns is coming over from the Michigan City Police Department and will start on Jan. 12. There are a number of former Michigan City police officers on the Chesterton staff, including Richardson and Assistant Chief Cisco Rodriguez.
Tyler Oberholtzer is now with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois and had previously served for seven years with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office. Richardson said that the details involving Oberholtzer’s pension must be straightened out before he starts with the department.
Richardson said that Manns and Oberholtzer would be paid as senior patrol officers and have vacation time commensurate with their law enforcement tenure.
Commission member Peter Duda will serve as commission president this year while Orlich is the vice president.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
