A suspended Terre Haute police officer arrested in a 2015 domestic battery incident has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of battery and intimidation.
Danial Armentrout took the stand this morning in Vigo Superior Court 3 to admit guilt to criminal charges of battery as a Class B misdemeanor and intimidation as a Class A misdemeanor.
The plea agreement negotiated by attorney Joe Etling and signed by Chief Deputy Prosecutor Rob Roberts called for a suspended one-year jail sentence, informal probation and no contact with the victim.
An 18-year veteran officer, Armentrout was arrested in January 2016 on charges of criminal confinement, intimidation, criminal trespass and battery after a Dec. 21, 2015 domestic dispute with his estranged girlfriend. The incident occurred in the woman’s apartment.
The victim took the witness stand to answer questions from Judge Sarah Mullican during the brief hearing.
“I was agreeable to that,” the woman said when asked by Mullican about the terms of the plea agreement.
Armentrout’s trial was to begin next week.
After the woman returned to a seat next to Deputy Prosecutor Chris Dailey, Armentrout took the witness stand and admitted to touching the woman in a rude manner during the incident.
He also admitted to communicating threats via text messages that stated he would “post private information online” in retaliation for ending their relationship.
Mullican accepted the plea agreement, which called for a 180-day sentence on the Class B misdemeanor charge of battery and a concurrent one-year sentence for the Class A misdemeanor charge of intimidation.
Armentrout was given credit for two days in jail, and the balance was suspended to informal probation.
Armentrout agreed to continue counseling at Hamilton Center, to submit to random drug tests, to not consume alcohol or illegal drugs and to pay court costs.
Other charges of criminal confinement, intimidation and criminal trespass were dismissed.
Following the filing of criminal charges, the merit board of the police department met and issued a suspension without pay for Armentrout pending the outcome of the case.
A request for comment on the plea agreement has been made to Police Chief John Plasse, and to the attorney representing the merit board.
Source: http://www.tribstar.com