March 16, 2022 - A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment today charging an Indiana woman with violating an individual’s rights while acting as an officer of the Louisville Metro Police Department.

According to court documents, Katie R. Crews, 29, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, has been charged with using a pepperball gun to fire a pepperball at an individual, while the individual was standing on private property and not posing a threat to the defendant or others. The incident took place on June 1, 2020.

Crews is charged with using unreasonable force. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit jointly investigated the case through the Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force.

Civil Rights Trial Attorney Anita Channapati and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory of the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: DOJ Release