BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. -- Dashcam video was released on Wednesday of a police chase that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old man. And now officials in Bartholomew County have launched a criminal investigation against the officer involved in that chase.
On August 29, Xavier Scrogham crashed his motorcycle after a high speed police chase. Scrogham was a recent Ben Davis High School graduate and former state football champion.
On that night, officers say the teen was speeding on his motorcycle when he passed off-duty Nashville Reserve police officer Leonard Burch.
In the video you can see Burch trying to stop Scrogham, but failing. That's when officials say the chase began heading south on 31 and winding through Columbus past traffic.
The officer called 911 and said he lost sight of Scrogham, giving them two possible directions he could have taken. He headed one direction, and a Bartholomew County Deputy went the other.
The deputy then noticed a single tire track in a bean field off Sunland Road. That's where the teen's body was found. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Four days after that crash, the Bartholomew County Sheriff said he was asked by Nashville's Police chief to launch a criminal investigation into Officer Burch's actions that night, offering new information surrounding the appropriateness of the officer's actions that night.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff's office issued a search warrant to get the dash cam video from that night. It is now being used as a key piece of evidence in the criminal investigation.
Investigators say they plan to turn their findings over to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor's office sometime next week.
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