May 19—PERU — A former Indiana State Police trooper who plead guilty earlier this year for battering a colleague was sentenced to 60 days in the Indiana Department of Correction.
Micheal Meiser, 44, was initially arrested in May 2022 on a misdemeanor charge of battery, according to online court records.
The charge and subsequent sentence stems from a March 30, 2022, incident in which Meiser — a 16-year veteran of ISP — reportedly walked up behind an unidentified female officer while she was loading firearm magazines inside a gun range shed, according to court documents.
Meiser then reportedly “sniffed” the woman, per a probable cause affidavit.
Court documents indicate the woman then turned around and asked Meiser if he was sniffing her, to which he denied.
The woman later told investigators that she was “creeped out” and “annoyed” by the encounter with Meiser, and the incident appeared to escalate later on when the woman threw away some trash, per the affidavit.
It was during that encounter, the woman told investigators, that she saw Meiser drop some money, per the affidavit.
When the woman reached down to pick up the money to return it to Meiser, that’s when he reportedly grabbed her on the top portion of her head, “pulled her toward his groin and thrust his groin toward her head,” the affidavit detailed.
The woman also told investigators that Meiser told her, “Here’s a way for you to earn the money.”
According to court records, both of those reported encounters between Meiser and the woman were witnessed by other law enforcement officers who attended the training.
Court records added that Meiser did not appear to deny or dispute any of the information the woman told authorities.
An ISP media release regarding the incident at the time noted that, pending the results of the investigation into Meiser’s actions, he was placed on administrative duties.
On Friday, the Tribune reached out to ISP for further comment, and a spokesman there stated Meiser is no longer employed with the agency.
Meiser is expected to report to the Miami County Jail on Monday.