Ex-Henry County reserve deputy charged with tampering in excessive force case against former New Castle cop

INDIANAPOLIS — A now-former Henry County reserve deputy has been charged with witness tampering as part of a federal case surrounding alleged excessive use of force by an ex-New Castle police lieutenant.

Adam Guy is named in that superseding indictment in the case against former New Castle police Lt. Aaron Strong, who is accused of assaulting an arrestee and two pretrial detainees in August 2019.

Henry County Sheriff Richard McCorkle confirmed that Guy is no longer serving as a reserve deputy.

The superseding indictment accuses him of engaging in "misleading conduct toward another person with the intent to hinder, delay, and prevent the communication to a federal law enforcement officer" when he provided false information to Indiana State Police during a probe into the 2019 incident.

If convicted, Guy faces up to 20 years in prison with a supervised release of up to three years and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Strong is charged with counts including deprivation of rights under color of law and witness tampering in connection with the encounter.

According to court documents, Strong repeatedly struck the arrestee with a baton, struck one of the pretrial detainees in the head and shot the second detainee in the back with a bean bag shotgun — all "without legal justification."

If convicted on all counts, Strong faces up to 50 years in prison.