IMPD officer suspended Wednesday

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - An IMPD officer accused in a hit in run crash while behind the wheel of his squad car has been suspended without pay and recommended for termination.

Indianapolis Chief of Police Paul Ciesielski tells 24-Hour News 8 he has referred Matt Elam to the merit board for termination.

We first reported Elam was being investigated by a grand jury in connection with allegations that he may have been intoxicated at the time of the crash.

We learned that Elam allegedly drove drunk, wrecked his squad car, and left the scene. We've learned the officer went to extraordinary measures to cover up the accident. Multiple sources confirm he took his wrecked squad car to a private auto body shop for repairs in the hopes superiors wouldn't find out.