Former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Nicholas A. Cauley has avoided a trial by taking a plea deal that puts him on probation and permanently strips him of the power to serve as a sworn officer. The criminal case stemmed from accusations that he used his badge, his patrol car and department databases to stalk and harass a former partner while on duty.
Plea agreement details
Under the agreement, Cauley will serve probation and has formally given up his police powers rather than contest the charges in court, according to the Indianapolis Star. Court records show the plea resolves counts that included official misconduct and a related harassment charge.
Allegations and arrest
IMPD detectives arrested Cauley in July 2025 after a woman filed a complaint accusing him of sending repeated unwanted messages and emails and continuing to contact her after she told him to stop. Investigators say Cauley drove his marked patrol vehicle to her workplace while he was on duty and used a department computer to run her license-plate information, according to the probable-cause affidavit and coverage at the time. WIBC reported on the arrest and the department’s initial response.
State decertification
The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy’s public decertification roster lists Nicholas A. Cauley as de-certified as of June 15, 2026, with the action marked “Voluntary.” That roster serves as the official record when an officer’s certification is removed, a move that typically blocks a de-certified person from working as a sworn officer anywhere in Indiana. Indiana Law Enforcement Academy records confirm Cauley’s listing.
Department response and broader context
When the investigation opened, IMPD collected Cauley’s department-issued equipment and suspended his law-enforcement authority. Officials said they were coordinating with prosecutors while the criminal case played out in court.
The outcome drops into an already crowded roster of high-profile disciplinary and criminal cases involving current and former IMPD officers, a list that has kept questions about officer accountability in steady circulation. Local coverage and past court records show that similar cases have ended in a mix of probation, state decertification or merit-board hearings in other instances, according to reporting from WRTV and earlier coverage of Cauley’s arrest on harassment and misconduct charges.
The plea brings the criminal side of the case in Marion County to a close, but administrative and civil questions tied to Cauley’s conduct, including any merit-board proceedings or employment-related action, may still be unresolved. Community advocates and oversight groups are likely to keep an eye on whether IMPD leadership or the civilian merit board decides to push for additional discipline or policy changes in the wake of the case.
