Henry County Sheriff: Facing Tort Claims & Policy Terminated
Insurance Cancelled upon mounting legal issues
Henry County, Indiana — In a March hour-long interview, Henry County Sheriff John Sproles stated, "You know, I'm not concerned about bogus tort claims."
Sproles had only been a police officer for three years in 2022 when he easily won the Republican primary, which featured four contestants, and went on to become sheriff.
Notice of Tort Claim
Notices of tort claims have been issued to Sproles's department in an abnormally high amount in the sixteen months since he took office. There are twelve claims as of Thursday, and the issue has grown costly. Additionally, it has affected Sproles's ties with other county leaders.
Sproles said, “There’s been no judgments against me. No claims paid out. These will all see their day in court."
Here, the Sheriff is not being forthright. The insurance company has offered settlements and attorneys have been employed on behalf of the county. However, as of yet, there are no verdicts or jury awards.
Pursuant to Indiana law, one must make a claim against a municipal government within six months following a loss or harm. That only holds open the plaintiff's option to file a lawsuit.
Insurance Terminated
The insurance company frequently has the last say in whether a municipality, in this example the Henry County Sheriff's Office, challenges the claim in court.
Furthermore, Travelers Insurance had seen enough.
Henry County received a cancellation notice from Travelers regarding its Umbrella Liability Occurrence coverage in December. The policy was canceled due to “a significant change to Henry County Commissions’ approach to risk management. These changes create a substantial increase in the hazards contemplated for the county.”
Josh Estelle, the county's insurance agent, personally appealed to Travelers CEO Alan Schnitzer regarding the cancellation. The attempt to restore the policy was unsuccessful.
During a meeting in January, Estelle clarified to the Henry County Commissioners that "the crux of the cancellation surrounded a couple of claims involving the Sheriff.”
Sproles's actions are directly related to some of the issues that Henry County is currently dealing with. Among them are notices of tort claims from the Law Office of Mark Nicholson:
Sproles v. Alwood Submitted on January 12, 2024. Sheriff Sproles is accused of slander by 1.
Alwood v. Sproles: According to the allegation, Sproles conducted pointless criminal background checks on Atwood and called him a "known gang member" who was trying to infiltrate law enforcement.
Baker v. Sproles: submitted on January 12, 2024. Diane Baker claims that Sheriff Sproles wrongfully looked up her name three times in a criminal justice database after learning that she was the target of constant criticism on his official government webpage.
Neal v. Sproles: Submitted November 2, 2023. Marquette Neal wants compensation for injuries he sustained behind both knees. Neal was kicking a steel cell door repeatedly while he was confined to a cell in the Henry County Jail. In response, Sheriff Sproles fired four beanbag rounds—dubbed "less lethal"—at Neal's legs from less than two feet away.
Humphries v. Sproles: Submitted November 2, 2023. Officer Roger Humphries of the Town of Shirley is requesting a settlement of $100,000, alleging that Sproles attempted to get him dismissed due to their disagreement over how to handle a disabled bus.
Winston v. Sproles: Submitted October 6, 2023. Winston leads a Milwaukee-based dancing company. Their bus broke down near I-70. While returning from church, the sheriff pulled over to investigate. Sproles is heard on a police body camera expressing his suspicion that the group was possibly involved in human trafficking. Following extensive roadside interrogation that satisfied Sproles, Winston and the dancing group were allowed to depart.
Costing Henry County
Henry County was able to secure substitute liability insurance. An extra $230,000 was spent on the piecemeal insurance that was obtained from several different providers. Moreover, the deductible skyrocketed from $25,000 to $150,000 each event.
Indianapolis Civil Rights Attorney Mark Nicholson
An Indianapolis civil right attorney is at odds with the Sheriff. Attorney Mark Nicholson said, "I think the Sheriff is arrogant and believes he can get away with violating the rights of the citizens of New Castle. My law firm will do its best to defend the constitutional rights of the citizens in New Castle and throughout Indiana."
Attorney Nicholson said that if you believe your rights were violated, please contact the Law Office of Mark Nicholson at 317-219-3402.
