Center Twp Constable: ‘IMPD officer tried to kill me’; IMPD has a different view of the incident
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Center Township Constable Denise Hatch says an officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department “tried to kill her” during a heated confrontation between Hatch and an off-duty officer.
I-Team 8’s Richard Essex spoke with Hatch, who said was intervening on behalf of someone about to be evicted. Hatch and the officer were standing in the front yard of the home when the exchange occurred, and the officer attacked her.
“He attacked me. He pushed me down, tried to kill me in front of a baby,” Hatch said. When I-Team 8 asked Hatch if the officer tried to kill her, she said yes.
“Yes, he did. When you push an individual down four or five concrete steps, it can result in death,” Hatch said.
But a video of the confrontation sent to I-Team 8 does not show the officer pushing Hatch. In fact, the constable appears to be trying to coax the officer into pushing her. But still, Hatch told I-Team 8 she was attacked.
“The video doesn’t show me being pushed down, but I was pushed down. My daughter was a witness. I was pushed down – I was in a doorway and I said [to the officer], ‘I’m in charge of this scene and you all need to leave, okay? I got it now.’ I go [to leave] and then he pushed me backward. I could have broken my neck,” Hatch explained.
Constable Hatch says she was trying to stop the eviction of the person living in this house on North Grant Street. The IMPD officer was providing security for the moving company hired to clear out the house.
The IMPD provided this in a statement.
An IMPD officer was working in an off-duty capacity escorting a moving company to remove property from a home in the 700 block of North Grant Avenue. Shortly after, Constable Hatch arrived and there was a confrontation between her and an IMPD officer.
IMPD’s supervisors responded to the scene and special investigation unit detectives are investigating at this time.
The incident was captured on officer worn-body camera and IMPD is aware that videos of portions of the incident have been shared on social media.
IMPD Chief Randal Taylor has spoken to Center Township Judge Brenda Roper to discuss the incident and steps moving forward.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
The constable’s job is to serve legal papers, like eviction notices, along with summons and subpoenas for people to appear in criminal and/or civil court cases. They are paid for every legal paper they deliver.
Constable Hatch says there are people who want her out of office.
“That is the only way to get me out of office because I’m not going to commit a felony. I’m not going to get convicted of a felony. The only way to [get me out of office] is to kill me. Do you know how much money goes through this office? I’m one of the highest paid.” said Hatch.
Constable Hatch was elected to the office after I-Team 8 reported on former Constable Lance Stephens’s legal issues for driving under the influence.