***MEDIA ADVISORY***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 01, 2022

INCIDENT STILL UNDER REVIEW

Media Contact: Vicki Elaine Becker (574) 296-1888

Except for matters that involve the direct safety of our community, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney will not release information regarding possible suspects, victims, witness identities, or allegations of criminal conduct unless an arrest is made or a formal charge is filed to protect the privacy of persons involved. To suggest that the mere making of a report assumes the facts reported therein are true is not a practice of this Office. There must be a review to determine credibility of the report, an assessment of the applicable law, and circumstances understood, before a charging decision is made. At that point, any charge, and the information required for probable cause, is generally made public pursuant to Indiana law.

An investigation by the Indiana State Police relative to a disturbance that occurred within Elkhart County on September 8, 2022 that involved four (4) possible suspects, has been submitted. However, disclosing the contents of that investigation to the general public, while the final outcome is still under review, undermines the confidentiality of law enforcement investigations that protects all persons from false claims and inaccurate assumptions.

One should be very careful assuming “facts” that have not been proven, as every citizen of this State is afforded the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney will not engage in this type of behavior and will make a decision once all aspects of the case, and the appropriate use of State resources, is decided.

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“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”