
© YouTube / ProPublicaCCTV footage show Elkhart PD officers beating a handcuffed suspect
One mayor's decision to cut police oversight has allowed a department in Indiana to become a law unto itself; staffed with a gallery of rogue, undisciplined and shady officers.
Drew Neese was elected mayor of Elkhart, Indiana in 2015. Among his biggest donors were the Fraternal Order of Police, and throughout his campaign,
Neese "made it clear that he wants all of the city's officers going home at night without second-guessing themselves and the decisions they make," a local CBS affiliate reported at the time.
Step one was appointing a new police chief. Neese chose Ed Windbigler, a military veteran and campaign supporter, for the role. According to an extensive
report from nonprofit newsroom ProPublica, Windbigler had a questionable record.
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