An Indianapolis EMT known across Central Indiana for surviving a harrowing on-duty car strike in 2024 was arrested after Noblesville police responded to a domestic battery call. Geovani Galvez, who worked for Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services, was arrested Thursday following a domestic battery call that officers responded to around 12:50 p.m.
According to Fox 59, the victim told Noblesville officers that Galvez had put his hands on their neck, and officers observed multiple scratches and red marks on the victim's neck when they arrived. The outlet reports officers also noted red marks on the victim's arms along with older bruises, which the victim said stemmed from previous physical altercations. Galvez was booked.
Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services confirmed it is aware of the situation and has placed Galvez on administrative leave, per the station's report. The agency is the state's largest pre-hospital emergency care provider, responding to more than 100,000 emergency 911 calls a year through a partnership among the City of Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Medicine, and the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County.
Indiana's Legal Threshold Tied to a Child Witness
In Indiana, domestic battery can be elevated from a Class A misdemeanor to a Level 6 felony when it occurs in front of a child under 16, according to the Marc Lopez Law Firm. Separately, Indiana Code § 35-42-2-9 defines strangulation as knowingly or intentionally applying pressure to another person's neck, throat, nose, mouth, or upper torso in a way that restricts breathing or blood flow, a standard that does not require proof of visible injury or loss of consciousness, per Vining Legal LLC.
A Level 6 felony in Indiana carries a fixed sentencing range of six months to 2.5 years in prison under Indiana Code § 35-50-2-7, with an advisory sentence of one year and fines reaching up to $10,000, according to IndyJustice. Notably, while judges in Indiana often have discretion to convert many Level 6 felonies down to misdemeanors after conviction, domestic battery convictions under § 35-42-2-1.3 are explicitly barred by statute from that Alternative Misdemeanor Sentencing option, the Marc Lopez Law Firm notes.
From Headline-Making Survivor to Criminal Defendant
Galvez's arrest marks a jarring turn for a man whose resilience had previously made local headlines. In June 2024, Galvez suffered a brain bleed, a collapsed lung, and multiple fractures when he was struck by a vehicle while directing an ambulance at the Italian Festival in downtown Indianapolis, according to WTHR. Fox 59 had previously reported that Galvez was struck by a vehicle while responding to an EMS call that year.
Before that accident, Galvez had already become known for personal hardship and resilience: he donated bone marrow to his son Levi in 2022 to treat leukemia, and he had publicly discussed, in a 2022 interview with 13News, surviving a mental health crisis in 2021, per WTHR's reporting. That history gave Galvez a prominent profile in Central Indiana well before Thursday's arrest.
Jurisdiction Split Between Hamilton and Marion Counties
Because Noblesville police made the arrest, the case will move through the Hamilton County Superior Court system and be prosecuted by the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, according to Justia Law — a separate venue from Marion County, where Galvez's employer, Indianapolis EMS, is based.
Beyond the criminal case, Indiana's administrative frameworks allow state credentialing bodies, including emergency medical services licensing boards, to pursue independent reviews of first responders facing violent felony charges, separate from whatever happens in criminal court, Hoodline has previously reported. Whether such a review will be opened in Galvez's case remains to be seen.
