An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detective is off the streets after colleagues say she showed up drunk to a crime scene, then drove home instead of stopping when ordered. The detective, identified by the department as 34-year-old Caitlin Harris from IMPD’s child abuse unit, was arrested yesterday and placed on administrative leave, with her police powers removed while an OVWI investigation moves forward. The case she initially responded to has already been reassigned to another detective as the review continues.
According to FOX59, officers at the scene reported smelling alcohol on Harris’s breath, and a sergeant instructed her to pull over. Instead, police say she drove home, where a lieutenant later contacted her and believed she was under the influence. An OVWI investigator and other detectives then opened a formal probe. As part of that investigation, Harris was taken to a local hospital for a blood draw.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed the arrest and stated that Harris, an eight-year veteran of the force, faces preliminary counts of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and OVWI endangering a person. The department said she currently has no police powers and that the case she was assigned to has been reassigned while the OVWI unit completes its work, according to IMPD. Harris has been placed on administrative leave while both a criminal investigation and an internal affairs review play out.
Charges, penalties and what comes next
IMPD told reporters that OVWI endangering is treated as an A misdemeanor, while a standard OVWI is a C misdemeanor. Both are preliminary classifications and could change after the prosecutor’s office reviews the file. The criminal case will run separately from any internal discipline, and investigators say Harris’s blood test results, along with statements from the officers who first encountered her, will be key pieces of evidence, according to FOX59. It will be up to court filings or a decision from prosecutors to determine whether those preliminary counts become formal charges.
Child-abuse unit under scrutiny
Harris’s role in the child abuse unit adds extra weight to the case, since that assignment often involves vulnerable victims and highly sensitive investigations. Reassigning the original case she responded to was a quick move aimed at protecting the integrity of that investigation, although defense attorneys or advocates could still question any work she handled before her arrest. Community organizations and victim-service providers frequently call for transparency when investigators themselves are under the microscope, and the department says it will cooperate with any outside review requests.
Investigators say Harris’s blood test results are expected to be included in the criminal case file, and prosecutors will decide whether to move ahead with formal charges. IMPD has declined to go beyond its written statement while the OVWI investigation continues and Harris remains off duty.
