Charges dropped against Muncie man 3 years after arrest
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Felony and misdemeanor charges against a Muncie man have been dropped more than three years after his arrest in Delaware County.
The following charges against Lorenzo Reyes were dropped on Thursday:
- disarming a law enforcement officer
- battery resulting in moderate bodily injury
- operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person
- domestic battery
- resisting law enforcement
Court documents show the reason listed for dismissal is “in the best interest of justice.”
Reyes was arrested on June 5, 2018, following a traffic stop in Muncie. According to a police report filed by former Muncie police officer Dalton Kurtz, Reyes resisted arrest and attempted to disarm Kurtz.
Kurtz, who pled guilty to falsifying a report in a separate case, is no longer on the force. Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman said Kurtz’s guilty plea, along with the inability to locate a key witness, as well as insufficient evidence, led to the decision to dismiss the case.
“These officers have lost sight of the fact that they are public servants,” said defense counsel for Reyes and criminal defense attorney Mario Massillamany in a press release sent to News 8. “Our country and especially our minority communities have lost faith in law enforcement because of corrupt officers like this.”
The Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office said there was no evidence or judicial finding that any police officers falsified records in the case against Reyes.
The Muncie Police Department has been under investigation since the summer of 2018 as part of a federal probe involving police brutality.
Several officers with the department were indicted on excessive use of force and false reporting charges and are expected to go to trial in January 2022.
