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An Indiana police officer found himself behind bars on Wednesday night following allegations of domestic battery.
According to an arrest report, 32-year-old Ryan Miller is accused of assaulting a pregnant family member, as reported by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Miller, who holds the rank of corporal with the Chesterton Police Department, was recently honored with an Exceptional Service Award for his quick response in administering first aid to a man suffering from a severe arm injury in June.
The arrest took place in Portage, and Chesterton Police Chief Tim Richardson informed the Times that Miller has been on administrative leave since early December. However, Richardson did not disclose the reasons behind the leave, citing the protections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Regarding the arrest, Chief Richardson stated that he had not yet reviewed the reports from the Portage police and thus was unable to provide further comments.
Chesterton Town Council President Erin Collins did comment in a statement posted on the town’s Facebook page.
“The Town of Chesterton has been made aware of the arrest of a Chesterton Police Department officer on allegations of domestic battery,” she wrote. “Allegations of this nature are taken extremely seriously. Conduct that endangers others or undermines public trust is not tolerated by the Town of Chesterton or the Chesterton Police Department.”
Collins said the allegations would be thoroughly investigated by internal and judicial processes, including the town’s Board of Police Commissioners.
“At the time of the arrest, the officer was on administrative leave, and the officer will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, she wrote, adding that there would be no further comment from the town.
The identity of the pregnant family member is not yet known.
A lawsuit filed in October accuses Miller of negligence when he rear-ended a motorcyclist in his police cruiser in September 2024. The town is also named a defendant in the lawsuit, the Times said.
