Center Township Constable Denise Paul Hatch has been arrested. She was arrested February 8. Hatch has been charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor. The felonies are official misconduct and attempting assisting a criminal. She was also charged with attempting resisting law enforcement.

1. AFFIDAVIT
FOR PROBABLE CAUSE
STATE OF INDIANA, COUNTY OF MARION, SS:
Detective John Howard swears (affirms) that:
On October 4, 2023, at approximately 1:00 PM, Officer David Yohe of the Indianapolis Metropolitan
Police Department was in the 4000 block of North High School Road when he observed a male, later
identified as Craig Regans, operating a 1994 Ford pickup truck bearing expired Indiana plate R401272.
The vehicle was traveling south in the right lane of North High School Road. Officer Yohe observed
Regans looking down toward his lap and the vehicle drifting into the left lane of traffic, causing a black
Ford sedan to swerve to avoid a collision with Regans. Officer Yohe also observed Regans was not
wearing a seatbelt. Officer Yohe activated the emergency lights and siren of his fully marked IMPD
patrol vehicle and initiated a traffic stop with Regans in the 3900 block of North High School Road.
Officer Yohe approached the vehicle and spoke with Regans, who was the driver and sole occupant of the
vehicle. Regans was still not wearing his seatbelt and a black touch screen smart phone was on the front
passenger seat.
Regans displayed a badge to Officer Yohe and identified himself as a Marion County Deputy Constable.
Officer Yohe informed Regans why he was stopped, and he collected Regans’ driver's license and
Constable Identification Card. Officer Yohe reviewed BMV records and confirmed the vehicle's plates
were expired and that Regans was prohibited from carrying a handgun due to a conviction for domestic
battery.
Officer Yohe requested additional officers to the scene to assist him and Sergeant Shawn Anderson,
Sergeant Mark Ayler, Officer Juan-Carlos Rodriguez, and Officer Rodney White responded to the scene.
Officer Yohe returned to Regans’ vehicle and found that Regans was on his phone speaking to a female
that identified herself as Constable Denise Hatch. Hatch demanded to speak to Officer Yohe, stating “I
am Constable Hatch. You’re gonna speak to me, what’s your name, Officer?” Officer Yohe declined to
speak with Hatch on the phone. Officer Yohe asked Regans to exit the vehicle and Regans eventually
complied after being asked several more times. When Officer Yohe repeated his request for Regans to
step out of the vehicle, Hatch could be heard saying “No, no, no.”, indicating that Regans should not exit
the vehicle. Officer Yohe patted Regans down and asked him to stand near the front of his patrol vehicle.
Regans repeatedly moved from the place he was asked to stand, so Officer Yohe placed Regans in
handcuffs.
Officer Yohe requested a tow truck for Regans’ vehicle and began an inventory for items of value. Officer
Yohe read Regans his Miranda Rights and Regans stated that he understood his rights.
I swear (affirm), under penalty of perjury as specified by IC 35-44.1-2-1, that the foregoing representations are true.
/s/ John Howard
AFFIANT
DATED: 01/17/2024

2. Affidavit for Probable Cause
From: John Howard
I swear (affirm), under penalty of perjury as specified by IC 35-44.1-2-1, that the foregoing representations are true.
/s/ John Howard
AFFIANT
DATED: 01/17/2024
(Page 2)
Officer Yohe discovered a black paddle holster in the passenger compartment of Regans’ vehicle. A black
Glock 27 .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun was discovered in a red toolbox in the front passenger side
floorboard of the vehicle. Officer Yohe observed that the grip of the gun was near the driver seat of the
vehicle and the muzzle was facing away from the driver seat of the vehicle. Officer Yohe found several
tools in the toolbox that had Regans' initials or name written on them and a hat underneath the toolbox
with Regans' name on it.
Officer Yohe took a recorded statement from Regans at the scene inside Officer Yohe’s patrol vehicle.
While Officer Yohe was conducting the interview with Regans in his patrol vehicle, Constable Hatch
arrived on scene in a marked police vehicle, approached Yohe’s vehicle, and attempted to open the right
rear passenger door of his vehicle which was locked. Hatch then attempted to open the left rear passenger
side door which was also locked.
Officer Yohe requested that assisting officers get Hatch away from his vehicle. Other officers at the scene
then spoke to Hatch, who was hostile and belligerent at the prospect of Regans being detained and
arrested.
Mr. Regans was placed under arrest for possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer and unlawful
possession of a handgun. He was also cited for failure to wear a safety belt and operating a vehicle with
expired plates.
On October 8, 2023, Detective Howard of the IMPD Special Investigations Unit was tasked with
investigating possible interference with the arrest of Regans by Constable Hatch. Detective Howard
reviewed body camera footage related to the incident. He recognized the voice on the phone with Regans
during the traffic stop as belonging to Hatch. Detective Howard also observed Hatch approach the rear
doors of Officer Yohe’s vehicle during his interview with Regans. Detective Howard reviewed Hatch’s
interactions with the officers and supervisors at the scene.
On November 5, 2023, Detective Howard took a recorded statement from Officer Juan-Carlos Rodriguez.
Officer Rodriguez responded to the traffic stop on October 4, 2023, to assist Officer Yohe and was
present when Hatch arrived on scene. Officer Rodriguez heard Officer Yohe request assistance with
getting Hatch away from his vehicle after she attempted to open the vehicle’s door while he was
interviewing Regans. Officer Rodriguez then asked Hatch to step away from Officer Yohe’s vehicle.
Officer Rodriguez did not see Hatch attempt to open the door of Yohe’s vehicle. Officer Rodriguez did
not recognize Hatch until another officer at the scene advised that she was the Center Township
Constable. Other officers at the scene appeared reluctant to engage Hatch due to her being a government
employee. Officer Rodriguez heard Hatch say that she was at the scene because she “Takes care of her
people.” Hatch discussed her hiring practices and acknowledged that she knew that Regans was not
allowed to possess a firearm. When Hatch realized that Regans was going to be arrested, her demeanor
changed and she became hostile to officers at the scene.

3. Affidavit for Probable Cause
From: John Howard
I swear (affirm), under penalty of perjury as specified by IC 35-44.1-2-1, that the foregoing representations are true.
/s/ John Howard
AFFIANT
DATED: 01/17/2024
(Page 3)
On November 5, 2023, Detective Howard took a recorded statement from Sergeant Shawn Anderson.
Sergeant Anderson responded to the traffic stop on October 4, 2023, too after being advised of the
situation by Sergeant Mark Ayler, who was at the scene with Officer Yohe. Sergeant Anderson was
present when Hatch arrived. Regans was in Officer Yohe’s vehicle when Sergeant Anderson arrived at the
scene.
Sergeant Anderson said he knew Hatch to be the Center Township Constable and officers at the scene
took a conservative approach in dealing with Hatch due to prior knowledge of Hatch and the possibility of
her trying to bait officers into a controversial encounter. Sergeant Anderson saw Hatch attempt to open
the door of Officer Yohe’s vehicle.
On November 7, 2023, Detective Howard took a recorded statement from Sergeant Mark Ayler. Sergeant
Ayler responded to the traffic stop on October 4, 2023, when Officer Yohe requested a supervisor to the
scene. Sergeant Ayler spoke to Regans, who identified himself as a Center Township Deputy Constable
and gave Sergeant Ayler the phone number for his supervisor, Denise Hatch. Sergeant Ayler contacted
Hatch by phone and verified Regans’ employment status. Sergeant Ayler said that Regans had personal
property that he may want to release and told Hatch where he was located. Sergeant Ayler was still on
scene when Hatch arrived. He did not observe Hatch try to open Yohe’s vehicle. Hatch wanted to speak to
Regans and was told she could not speak to him at that time. Hatch was belligerent with Sergeant Ayler
and told him, “You know you can’t arrest me. Check your notes.” Sergeant Ayler said Hatch appeared to
be using her position to influence officers to not arrest Regans.
On November 7, 2023, Detective Howard took a recorded statement from Officer Rodney White. Officer
White responded to the traffic stop on October 4, 2023, to assist Officer Yohe and was present when
Hatch arrived on scene. Officer White heard Hatch ask Sergeant Ayler that Regans not be arrested. Hatch
was friendly with Officer White until she learned that Regans would be arrested. At that time, she became
hostile to officers at the scene. Officer White observed Hatch attempt to open the door to Officer Yohe’s
vehicle while he was interviewing Regans. Officer White believed that Hatch was attempting to use her
position to influence the situation involving Regans. Officer White heard Hatch say that once officers
found out he (Regans) was a constable, they should not have investigated him further.
On November 9, 2023, Detective Howard took a recorded statement from Officer David Yohe. After
locating the firearm in Regans’ vehicle, Officer Yohe took a recorded statement from Regans’ inside
Officer Yohe’s patrol vehicle. Officer Yohe recognized Hatch when she arrived at the scene and had
recognized her voice as the person on the phone with Regans during the traffic stop. Hatch approached his
vehicle during the interview and attempted to open the rear doors of his vehicle, which was locked. Yohe
was startled by Hatch’s presence at his vehicle and by the attempt to open his vehicle door. Officer Yohe
said he had never had someone attempt to remove an interviewee from his vehicle and that Hatch was
attempting to interfere with his investigation. Officer Yohe advised the interruptions of his interview with
Regans had a negative effect on his investigation reference the firearm.