MOORESVILLE, Ind. — A recently resigned officer with the Mooresville Police Department (MPD) is facing perjury charges, and dozens of criminal cases have been dismissed as a result.
MPD says they were made aware of inaccurate information in police reports generated by Mooresville Officer Mark Bailey in March and immediately place him on administrative leave while an internal administrative investigation was conducted. Once the investigation was complete, all information was given to Indiana State Police for a criminal investigation.
Documents show Bailey falsified probable cause affidavits on eight separate occasions from July of 2018 to February of 2020.
In each instance, state police found discrepancies in the video and audio recordings of the incidents and what Bailey claimed happened in the probable cause affidavits, which Bailey signed to be true to the best of his knowledge under the penalty of perjury.
In one example, according to court documents related to Bailey’s perjury charges, Bailey submitted dash cam footage and a probable cause affidavit for a criminal investigation. In the affidavit, Bailey claimed he took a male suspect to a Casey’s General Store and asked a woman “to take a look at the male in my vehicle to see if he was the same male, and she stated ‘yes, that’s him.'”
However, upon reviewing the video submitted by Bailey, state police found that Bailey asked the woman to look through the window at his vehicle to identify the male suspect in his patrol vehicle. According to ISP, the woman actually stated, “I can’t really see him,” to which Bailey responded, “It’s him.” The woman then stated, “(inaudible) orange,” and Bailey responded, “Yes, that’s him.”
There are other instances in which state police found what Bailey claimed happened in probable cause affidavits and what was recorded on video did not match up.
ISP found several occasions in which Bailey claimed he advised individuals of their Miranda and/or Pirtle Warnings when video evidence showed he did not.
MPD Chief Kevin Julian said Bailey resigned in June.
In July of 2019, Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department presented Bailey with a five year service certificate.
On Tuesday, the Morgan County Prosecutor’s Office said approximately 50 criminal cases were dismissed due to Bailey’s involvement in order to “protect the integrity of the criminal justice system.”
We are working to learn more on what these cases were and what ramifications this decision might have.
