MUNCIE — A former Muncie Police Officer is headed to federal prison for six months following his sentencing Friday for false reporting.
A federal judge sentenced Dalton Kurtz to six months in federal prison, plus two months home detention, followed by 1 year of supervised release and a $1,000 fine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed one federal charge of Misprision of a Felony against Kurtz for writing false reports on a June 5, 2018, incident involving a juvenile suspect “N.B.”
Kurtz pleaded guilty to the charge in a signed plea agreement.
A federal judge accepted that plea agreement in which Kurtz admitted to concealing and failing to report a fellow officer’s inappropriate use of force.
Kurtz had faced up to three years in prison.
The charge stems from a June 5, 2018, call involving three juveniles who had fled after crashing a vehicle into a building.
Officer Kurtz and another officer, Chase Winkle, chased N.B. on foot.
Court documents allege they found N.B. face down in a yard with his arms extended in front of him in a submissive posture.
Although N.B. remained compliant, Officer Chase Winkle ran toward N.B. and kicked N.B. in the head without legal justification, court documents allege.
Officer Winkle then struck N.B. in the head and face, causing injuries to N.B., court documents allege.
Officer Dalton Kurtz did not report the excessive force to the proper authorities and instead concealed Winkle’s excessive force, read court documents.
Kurtz wrote in his report that N.B. refused commands to show officers his hands, and also omitted that Winkle kicked N.B. in the head, court documents said.
As part of the plea agreement reached with prosecutors on April 8, Kurtz waived his right to an indictment by a grand jury and waived his right to appeal.
The US Attorney’s Office declined to answer questions from WRTV about the Kurtz case.
Kurtz's attorney, Adam M. Henry, said he had no comment on the case.
Kurtz resigned on May 17, 2021.
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Kurtz is one of five current and former Muncie Police officers federally indicted for excessive force and/or obstruction after a grand jury returned a 17-count superseding indictment.
Officers Joseph Chase Winkle and Jeremy Gibson will be sentenced later this summer.
Corey Posey’s trial is scheduled for September 11.
Sgt. Joseph Kresja was sentenced to 19 months in prison.
