Grand jury indicts Indianapolis police officer shown on bodycam footage kicking man

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police sergeant shown on video stomping a man in the face last year during an arrest has been charged with violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

A federal grand jury has indicted Sgt. Eric Huxley, 44, on one count of deprivation of rights under color of law after body camera footage showed him kicking a man in the face while assisting in his arrest. The man was handcuffed and lying on his back.

The grand jury, a Department of Justice news release said, determined the incident caused the man bodily injury and involved the use of a dangerous weapon.

The Justice Department last year announced it was reviewing the case.

Huxley, a 14-year veteran of the force at the time, remains suspended from the department without pay after body camera footage released by police captured the arrest on Sept. 24, 2021. Officials on Wednesday said Huxley also is pending a recommendation of termination to the police department’s Civilian Police Merit Board, which reviews an officer’s status once the criminal process is finished.

Marion County prosecutors charged Huxley with official misconduct and battery with moderate bodily injury, both felonies. His case remains pending in Marion County court. IndyStar has reached out to the attorney listed for Huxley in online court records.

Court records detailing the charges against Huxley said he and two officers near Monument Circle on the day of the arrest approached the man after hearing him shouting. The police affidavit said they asked him to stop, but he “refused to quiet down.” The man was then placed in handcuffs.

The man was then taken to the ground on his back. The affidavit said Huxley walked over, lifted his left leg and drove his left foot down into the man’s face.

Police arrested the man on allegations of disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement, and charges were filed but later dismissed.

Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor in a statement called the incident unnecessary, and said it should never have occurred.

“I would not tolerate this behavior from any community member; Sergeant Huxley is no exception,” Taylor said. “As law enforcement officers, we must understand that this behavior violates the community’s trust.”

The two Indianapolis officers who assisted in the arrest, Matthew Shores and Christopher Kibbey, filed a federal lawsuit last month claiming they experienced retaliation by the department after they reported Huxley's use of force, "despite any wrongdoing on their part."

Shores and Kibbey in court records said the duo faced "abusive ridicule, embarrassment and defamatory statements" by the chief and their superiors in the aftermath of reporting. The lawsuit argues the alleged backlash from the department will deter employees from alerting their superiors to unlawful acts by fellow officers in the future.