Report: Special judge, prosecutor appointed in case against officer
A special prosecutor and special judge have been appointed in a case against a Columbus police officer.
The Republic newspaper is reporting that Decatur County Judge Timothy Day will serve as special judge and Dave Thomas of Vigo County will serve as special prosecutor in the case against Columbus officer John Velten.
Velten is facing charges of battery and official misconduct after the investigation by state police detectives. The charges came after an incident in June where a suspect in the back of Velten’s patrol car began hitting his head against the inside of the vehicle. In response, Velten allegedly punched the suspect, causing moderate injuries.