MPD officer Amy F. Fisher

By now, I am sure there more than a few people thinking ” What the heck happened to this police officer and why was it allowed to happen ? ” With pages and pages of information on my desk and my head ringing with the answers to the many questions asked, I can safely say ” I know, but what good does it do unless everyone knows and someone moves to do the right thing ? ” That’s another question to be answered. So far, it has not been and I will explain why in one simple sentence : because some people cannot keep their lies straight. You’ll understand that very soon and, in all likelihood, you will agree.

As a little girl, Amy Forshee had one goal in life – to be a police officer. To be sure, it wasn’t the dream her family would have wanted for their little blonde tyke, but Amy knew that’s what she wanted and to that end, she lived her life, planning to make that dream a reality. Amy Forshee Fisher began her career on the Muncie Police Department on 2 November 1998. From all accounts, her work as a law enforcement officer was exemplary and she thrived in her chosen field. Not everyone achieves a life goal or finds the career of his or her childhood dreams, but Amy had done it. Through hard work, furthering her education at Ball State University in the field of Criminal Justice and living every day, getting one inch closer to her dream.

In March 2008, her dream and her career would be put into jeopardy. As a serving line officer, you go where you are assigned and MPD Officer Amy Forshee Fisher was assigned to the Drug Task Force, under the watchful eye of Delaware County prosecutor Mark McKinney and Officer Jess Neal. At the time, the DTF was under investigation for illegal forfeitures. The task force had allegedly violated a state law requiring that seized assets be deposited in the general fund of the entity under which the task force operates and then transferred to the state of Indiana to be used for education spending. The task force did deposit seized cash in a pair of Muncie general fund accounts, but those accounts were specifically for the task force, state auditors found. Auditors also found that the task force had illegally spent some of the money on charitable donations, as well as a state of the art gym for police. Officer Fisher did find evidence that this was, indeed, the case – with cash, homes and vehicles being seized, but without charges being filed.

In the Summer of 2008, Officer Fisher met with Mark McKinney in regard to specific cases she had prepared and weren’t filed. This meeting was taped by Officer Fisher, which subsequently made front page news. Officer Fisher was instructed to follow-up on actions which would have been illegal violations. Shortly after this meeting and the local story in the Muncie StarPress, there were attempts by Prosecutor McKinney to charge Officer Fisher with three ( 3 ) felonies :

Residential Entry

Criminal Confinement

Dealing In A Scheduled substance

Exhaustive and extensive investigations by both the Indiana State Police and the FBI cleared Officer Fisher of any criminal or illegal actions.

In April 2009, Officer Fisher left the DTF and went to Uniform Division, on the midnight shift, often on patrol alone and in what would be considered high risk areas.

In July 2010, Officer Fisher filed for divorced. Harassment within the MPD hierarchy toward Officer Fisher stepped up with verbal abuse on a regular basis. With 14 years on the line, a love for her work and being within 6 years of retirement, Amy Forshee Fisher would not walk away.

September 2010…Most women who have the occasional UTI for any of a number of reasons, Officer Fisher finished her shift and reported to Ball Memorial Hospital for treatment and or / medication. Officer Fisher has had UTI’s over the years as a result of a physical condition which she cannot control and doctors cannot address. She was, and she is, fit to work, like many thousands of woman who suffer from the occasional UTI and, again like many thousands of women, she has to work. She was in the process of becoming a single mother, trying to raise two little boys.

At Ball Hospital, she was seen by registered nurse practitioner Stephanie H, herself an MPD spouse. SH remarked to Officer Fisher ” There are only two ways of to get this kind of infection : too much sex or too much pop. ” ( I’d like to say something here, that’s not exactly true, from a medical point of view ) Officer Fisher responded ” Well, I’m a woman in my mid – 30′s, so I do have sex and I work late hours, so I drink alot of pop. ” Receiving a prescription, Officer Fisher then left BMH.

More about THAT later – in what I refer to as ” The  HIPAA HIPAA Shake – Down / Shake – Up. “

Shortly afterwards, Officer Fisher was placed on Administrative leave, with pay, pending an investigation. Officer Fisher was not notified of the nature of the investigation, nor advised of any complaint. After five days of Admin Leave, Officer Fisher was sent for a FitRep – a fitness for duty evaluation. At that appointment, Officer Fisher was informed that a complaint filed against her, about the night she visited BMH ER. It was alleged she had acted in an unprofessional manner and a vulgar manner. At that point, Officer Fisher had no idea of further accusations regarding that ER visit. Returning to work, Officer Fisher was ordered to the Chief’s offce and suspended for two ( 2 ) days – for alleged misconduct becoming an Officer.

December 2010 : Officer Fisher was informed the Indiana State Police and the FBI investigations were both closed – finding no misconduct by Officer Amy Forshee Fisher.

Coming tomorrow, I promise, part 4 of ” Pre-judging Amy : The Curious Case of Amy Forshee Fisher. ” The worst is yet to come and there are closets to open.

MPD officer Amy Forshee Fisher

Flashback : December 2010 – Officer Fisher was informed the Indiana State Police and FBI investigations were closed, finding no misconduct on her part. One might think this would be the end of it and life might settle and Officer Fisher could get back to living her life and doing her job without further problems. One would think. Remember, Officer Fisher was an officer who had been tasked with a potentially dangerous job and carried it out, as directed. While lauded by some, there might have been cause for concern, because her carrying out an order meant a definite cash flow problem for some people and just like the old beach towels and chenille bedspreads one used to see lining the old road highways from Indiana to Florida, you could almost detect a subtle voice on the wind…” Hell, no – we ain’t forgettin’ ! “

January 2011 : Officer Fisher received an evaluation from her supervisors who lauded her work for the year 2010 as ” good ” or ” very good. ” Also noted on her work evaluation were notes alluding to her personal life – that she was making ” poor choices ” and had ” received special treatment from a supervisor ” she had dated at one point. When questioned out the so-called ” special treatment, ” the supervisor could not cite one example. From that point through June 2011, a Lieutenant with the Muncie Police Department continued to harass and create a difficult work environment for Officer Fisher, until Officer Fisher suggested she might file suit if the harassment did not stop. The harassment stopped immediately, verbal communication then became terse and only when necessary, which did nothing to ease a tense work environment.

February 2011 : Officer Fisher received a report of a local meth lab operating out of a local motel and she immediately advised her supervisor. As a line officer who had often worked undercover on the streets and aware of the dangers facing the MPD, as well as the surrounding neighborhood, Officer Fisher recommended a controlled buy as a prerequisite to a raid. The Sergeant, her superior, instead ordered that outstanding warrants be served on persons believed to be inside the motel room. Consequently, a raid did occur, with six MPD personnel and one canine exposed to fumes, requiring treatment at the local hospital. After the raid. her superior attempted to persuade Officer Fisher to report that she failed to adequately advise him of the dangers and all elements involved of staging such a raid. All this was happening during treatment at the hospital. Officer Fisher refused to submit a false report and, after treatment, Officer Fisher accurately reported on the situation, which led to disciplinary action against her Sergeant…who then retaliated by assigning Officer Fisher to the least favored districts for the next six ( 6 ) months, until her superior was transferred to a day shift.

( NOTE AND REMEMBER : ) THIS SAME PERSON IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE FOP, WHO NEGLECTED TO PROVIDE FOP – Fraternal Order of Police – ASSISTANCE DURING THE MERIT BOARD HEARINGS.

May 2011 : Enter Brock Reagan, who had filed for divorce in November of 2010. From June 2011 through December 2011 and a much larger cast of characters. At least six (6 ) months after Mr. Reagan had filed for divorce, he and Ms. Fisher had been in each others’ company / dated briefly, but maintained a friendship throughout a time when she was followed, stalked and harassed by someone who was very unhappy with Officer Fishers’ relationship with Mr. Reagan and who would eventually go to City Hall and file a complaint against Officer Fisher, which was later proven to have been impossible, as she was on shift, transporting a shoplifting suspect from Wal – Mart to the jail in downtown Muncie. More about this later, as it figures deeply in The Perfect Storm.

Life was about to get more interesting. January 2012 : Under the new Tyler Administration, Steve Stewart was named Chief of Police and Sgt. Jess Neal, formerly of the DTF was placed in charge of MPD Internal Affairs Division. It was all set – with the right people in place, the time was right for The Perfect Storm and life, as Amy Forshee Fisher, knew it, was about to change forever.

In all fairness to Mayor Dennis Tyler, he has been cooperative and understanding regarding this situation, but as Mayor, has handed this off to the city legal team. I understand his position and thank him for his consideration.

Coming up in Part Five – The Perfect Storm…The War Against Amy Forshee Fisher.

Amy F. Fisher and Her Gang

As we left off…all the right people were in place for ” the perfect storm, ” if one wanted to exact revenge on someone who carried out his or her duty. Before I continue, I should add I am working from legal documents which have been legally vetted. I should also add this is not an attack on the Muncie Police Department, as a whole, but a searing look at what happened to a professional law enforcement officer because she carried out her assignments with professionalism and with integrity. As I have found in the last few years, when you start following the money, especially within government entities, in almost any case, there will be victims – usually those whose hands were clean, those who should have been recognized for doing exemplary work or research are most often the most vilified. In Amy’s case, she was being targeted in ways which read like a bad novel or something you would never expect in a small town, such as Muncie, Indiana. Slowly, but surely, her professional life was about to unravel, which would then destroy her personal life. There was still too much to hide. Too much to protect. You can almost see, almost hear, ” Take her out ” – in a quiet, but decisive voice. The amazing thing is…it almost worked – almost.

During the months of February and March of 2012, Officer Amy Fisher was ordered to the MPD Chief’s office on four (4) separate occasions and questioned about her personal life, as she was seeing an EMT employee off-duty – how long had she been seeing the gentleman in question, how many times had she texted him or called while on the job. The EMT employee was legally separated from his wife and in process of divorce before he and Officer Fisher began seeing each other. In the state of Indiana, that is not against the law. At one point, the officer in charge of Internal Affairs, who coincidentally was tied to the DTF Forfeiture Scandal, interrogated Officer Fisher regarding an alleged threatening text message made sent to the EMT employee’s estranged wife on 26 November 2011 at 12:46 am. Officer Fisher advised the officer – Jess Neal – that she was made aware of the message after it was sent, but she had not sent it. That her niece, thinking she was helping her aunt, had sent it and she had already informed her niece that if she would have to honor a subpoena, should the occasion arise. It is worth noting, during the meetings in the MPD Chief’s office, the officer in charge of Internal Affairs, Jess Neal, had obtained two sets of phone records without a subpoena or the account holder’s authorization. Documentation later proved Officer Fisher could not have sent the text message, as she was at that time, at Wal-Mart South, transporting a shoplifting suspect to the Delaware County jail. Throughout the interrogations, Officer Fisher was badgered and repeatedly called ” a liar. “

OK, at this point, ask yourself this question…someone intimately involved with the DTF was placed in charge of MPD Internal Affairs ? On the face of it…no, not on the face of it…to be completely honest, you have to ask yourself ” How the Hell does the fox get control of the hen-house ? ” The records are a matter of public record. The DTF Scandal was fodder for every media outlet in the state of Indiana and yet, somehow, the MPD officer who helped gather the evidence used in the unraveling of the Forfeiture Scam was left unprotected, left hung out to dry, while a few players received a slap on the wrists, if that and some still were able to continue with their careers, as high-ranking officers within MPD ?

22 March 2012, Officer Fisher took ” stress leave, ” due to constant harassment and badgering. Ok, you may ask – she’s a cop…couldn’t handle the pressure ? Maybe she’s in the wrong field ? A serving officer with 14 years of meritorious service on MPD, who had been assigned to the worst possible duty, without a partner, who made multiple drug busts ( and we all remember to those 118 busts which never made it to court ), who loved her work is now under the thumb of people who were involved in one of Muncie’s most infamous police and Prosecutor scandals ? I imagine there was stress. If you went into work every day and knew you would be questioned and harangued, you might need a break, too.

21 May 2012, Officer Fisher was placed on Administrative Leave, without pay. Her MPD equipment was taken away, along with her badge.

26, 27, 28 November 2012 – The Police Merit Board convened on allegations of misconduct unbecoming an officer, false statements, threats and obstruction of justice.

The facts regarding each charge are as follows :

Conduct Unbecoming An Officer : Based on an alleged affair with EMT employee  BR, with whom she had four dates. Her marital status was single and Officer BR had filed for divorce seven ( 7 ) months before they dated.

False Statements : Based on Officer Fisher’s accurate denial of sending a threatening text message. The niece admitted that she had sent the message, but following what the niece called ” threats ” from the Internal Affairs officer, said Officer Fisher had sent the message. Before the Merit Board, Officer Fisher’s niece truthfully admitted sending the text, but later lying about it, due to the Officer Neal’s badgering. ( Again, I have the documents from the Merit Board attesting to this testimony before the Merit Board )

Threats : Based on a text, not sent by Officer Fisher, but her niece, of which Officer Fisher had no beforehand knowledge.

Obstruction of Justice : Based on Officer Fisher’s advice to her niece that she did not have to speak with anyone unless she received a subpoena, in which case she would have to honor it.

OK…at this point, let’s see a show of hands…how would you vote ? That’s what I thought. Please reference :

IC 36-8-3.5-17

IC 36-8-3.5-18

6 December 2012 – Officer Fisher was fired at a Merit Board hearing at which neither she nor her attorney were not present, as they were not notified of the hearing.

7 December 2012 – On this date, Officer Amy Fisher first learned that she had been fired, due to an online version of the local newspaper, The StarPress. Neither Ms Fisher, nor her attorney, Mick Alexander, were contacted for this story.

8 December 2012 – The print version of The StarPress contained a front page story about Amy Forshee Fsher’s termination. MPD Chief Steve Stewart was cited as the source of information for the story. The story went on to make slanderous and unproven claims against Ms Fisher, which violated her rights as a patient as Ball Memorial / IU Med / Clarion Hospital.

To this date, Ms Fisher has not received formal notice that she was fired.

In fact, when Ms Fisher filed for unemployment, she was denied, as the City of Muncie rep declared she had ” quit. “

When appealing, Ms Fisher was told she had been terminated for ” just cause. “

They didn’t even know…but, I’d be willing to guess they are trying to tweak this whatever her status may or may not be.

The one thing they cannot tweak – this is NOT going away.

There’s still too much to this story – raw details which, when added up will also add to your understanding of how a valuable and dedicated police officer was sacrificed, not once, but at least twice. I have a stack of paper work on my desk and on my bed…detailing Amy’s story and her career. There is more to come. Believe me.

Amy Forshee Fisher is a victim because she did her job. Unfortunately, you have to ask yourselves ” Who protects those who take a sworn oath to Protect and To Serve ? ” Who protected Amy Forshee Fisher ?

By the way, I have kept Mayor Dennis Tyler up to speed on this situation, as I consider it only fair. This did not begin on his watch, but it was carried out since his swearing in and he should be aware of what happens in his City. I thank him for his cooperation.

MPD officer Amy F. Fisher

Former Muncie MPD Officer Amy Forshee Fisher swore an oath – to serve and to protect the people of Muncie, Indiana – 2 November 1998. It was an oath she upheld. Amy didn’t become a law enforcement officer on a lark – it was her dream since childhood. She knew the possible dangers involved and she knew she would never get rich, but it was what she wanted to do with her life and, to that end, until the day her life as a serving line officer came to an end. In the next blog, Amy will answer the questions most often asked and she will share her life with the public, as it is the extreme opposite – as portrayed by the article in the Muncie StarPress. With a Q&A session, as well as sharing photos of her life, the public will meet the Amy Forshee Fisher it was never meant to know.

All anyone in any workplace wants is a level playing field. In the areas of public safety, it’s more than a ” want. ” It is an imperative. You have to have a fighting chance to do your job, to do it well and to be treated fairly and with respect, at least within the ranks. Amy Forshee Fisher didn’t have a level playing field upheld the oath from the day she sworn in as a police officer with the Muncie Police Department until she was publicly terminated in the Muncie StarPress.

From the moment she began her assignment to work on The Drug Task Force, her clock on her career began to tick away. From the moment Officer Fisher began gathering information about the illegal forfeitures, the so-called ” level playing field ” became an either a very slippery slope downhill or a tough climb up the worst possible mountain any officer of the law could climb…it depends on your point of view. Perhaps it became both.

While working with The Drug Task Force – the DTF – Officer Fisher began to question that particular department, as she was filing solid cases, which were not being prosecuted, as filed. Inevitably, her arrests, filed as Class A Felonies were downgraded to Class D,  often not being filed by then Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney, period – and the seized property of those arrested were not returned to the owners. While this was news to Officer Fisher, she had landed in a department which had been under scrutiny to at least 1999, when it was said to be under scrutiny for ignoring a state law requiring cash and proceeds from the sale of other property seized from drug dealers to be deposited in the general fund of the governmental unit employing the DTF officers, according to state examiners, the SBA – the State Board of Accounts.

Alarmed at what was happening, Officer Fisher refused to break the law regarding forfeitures and took the matter to the new Administration and worked with them to acquire evidence showing that the DTF was not adhering to Indiana law. It was already an open secret and had been virtually ignored by the previous administration. However, the Administration of Mayor Sharon McShurley would not ignore the situation and Officer Fisher continued working with DTF, only this time, she was meeting with Prosecutor McKinney – ” wired. ” From March 2008 through April 2009, Officer Fisher was in truly in the line of fire, more so than ever before.

Mayor McShurley filed a complaint against McKinney with the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission on 19 May 2008. McKinney, in a petition filed with the Indiana Supreme Court on Friday, indicated the process of handling forfeiture funds through the DTF had been approved by an Indiana Attorney General’s opinion and a written response from the Indiana Judicial Qualifications Commission.

Judge Dailey pointed out the SBA never approved the practice, repeatedly informing city government that the money had to deposited by court order in local government general funds. Attorney Michael Alexander, who represents several defendants in forfeiture cases, insists police were guilty of converting seized property and money for DTF and other law enforcement use.

McKinney, as deputy prosecutor before his 1996 election as prosecutor, received nearly $100,000 in attorney fees over the past decade handling civil forfeiture cases, and also prosecuted criminal cases. The prosecutor and the drug task force used confidential settlement agreements, negotiated without court orders, to disperse hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and property for the DTF’s use.

Citing state law that proceeds from drug forfeitures should be placed in local government general funds and common school funds after law enforcement costs have been paid. The DTF had its own accounts under city government, and also maintained an off-the-books checking account that it used to spend money on its operations and various other expenses, including equipment for a city police gym, donations to youth charities and carpeting the prosecutor’s office last year. The State Board of Accounts shut down that checking account last year in 2007.

It’s a long, crafty and well – crafted story with alot of math and even more questions. By then, Amy was well on her way back to patrolling the streets, while trying to, quite literally, stay alive – in terms of career, as well as her private life. It’s no secret Officer Fisher cooperation was an integral part of the DTF scandal. Some may think of her actions as ” breaking ranks, ” but in truth, Officer Fisher was upholding the law and refusing to do something she knew was in violation of state law. Ethics…duty…a promise made, a promise kept.

A great deal was happening in her life, personal and professional – but, that must wait until Amy Forshee Fisher Speaks, which will be, for the first time, a very public and personal statement about the consequences of staying true to the sworn oath. It will also define The Playing Field and the hypocrisy involved within the hierarchy of the MPD, as well as the Police Merit Commission. The effect on her career and her personal life has been devastating.

Meanwhile, in coverage regarding the DTF scandal, it was reported that Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney and Deputy Prosecutor Eric Hoffman used confidential settlements or affidavits to seize and disperse the money and assets of alleged drug dealers. While state law requires that such money be placed local government and school funs, the DTF maintained separate city accounts and checkbooks in which they deposited and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past decade and equipment, vehicle, charitable donations and other expenses.

In the political war now being waged against Mayor McShurley’s administration, there were  constant attempts to divert attention from the DTF story, stating it was all about revenge on McKinney, because he failed to employ Ms. McShurley in his office, sometime before the election. On the sidelines, but perhaps more lethal and more destructive, were the Attacks On Amy Forshee Fisher, using every possible tactic, using as well as civilians ( non – MPD personnel ) to chip away at her life, her peace of mind, her character and her job.

The level playing field had never been more uneven. MPD personnel who had also found themselves on the pages of the StarPress found their roads to be easy to walk, even if their actions were found to be questionable and, quite often, in direct violation of the law and ethical behavior. Then again, they weren’t helping to expose illegal activity within the DTF and the Prosecutor’s office. They might have overlooked the episode in which an off duty MPD officer pistol whipped a daughter’s boyfriend or been involved in off-duty public drunken behavior and assault, but they kept their jobs and they never saw The Police Merit Board. They were somehow ” washed clean. ” After years of harassment and threats, the stress on Amy Forshee Fisher was becoming more and more obvious – it was time to hit her hard, even if it mean breaking more laws.

Enter the reporters, who failed to report the truth. Enter a Nurse Practioner at Ball Memorial Hospital / IU Health, possibly for her own reasons, but without a thought to The Patient Bill of Rights and HIPAA codes. Enter high-ranking police officers who failed one of their own, obviously without conscience…obviously without The Code of Ethics. Enter The Police Merit Board, who should hold themselves responsible for helping to perpetuate a series of lies and revenge.

Enter Deborah King – Eichholz, who had read an obvious ” story ” and shook her head, thinking ” This isn’t journalism or even news. It is character assassination. ” I was contacted by a friend of Officer Fisher – to dig a little deeper, please and I started digging. In ” Amy Speaks, ” we’ll be talking with Amy…asking the tough questions and reporting her words accurately.

The people of Muncie pay the salaries of people who have disgraced law enforcement and who have tried very hard to destroy a woman whose purpose in life is ” to protect and to serve. ” In a city where we bury many things – this is one thing we cannot afford to bury – the truth and the life of a police officer who served this City well for 14 years.

MPD officer Amy Forshee Fisher

You boys coulda done the right thing and respected the law…respected those who abided by the law and did the job, but you had to play with lives. You ignored the truth and the warnings.

Amy Forshee Fisher – lift this house !

Amy F. Fisher and Her Gang

MPD officer Amy F. Fisher

On my honor,
I will never betray my badge
my integrity, my character,
or the public trust.
I will always have
the courage to hold myself
and others accountable for our actions.
I will always uphold the constitution
my community and the agency I serve.

….as sworn by Amy Forshee Fisher, MPD

Let’s bring you up to speed.

2 November 1998 – Amy Forshee Fisher became a law enforcement officer with the Muncie, Indiana Police Department.

8 December 2012 – Amy Forshee Fisher was publicly gutted in the Muncie StarPress, without knowing the Muncie Merit Board had convened and made the decision to terminate her position on the MPD, without prior notice of a Merit Board meeting and decision regarding her employment. Neither Amy Forshee Fisher, not her attorney, Michael Alexander were ever informed of the Merit Board meeting or the decision.

7 March 2013 – The EEOC, after a five-hour long interview with Ms Fisher and with all pertinent facts and documentation, officially served those local government entities on behalf of Ms Fisher for a suit addressing her abrupt termination and discrimination. There will be more filings to come in the not so distant future.

8 March 2013 – As yet, the news of the EEOC filings and the actions taken against the Muncie Police Department, as well as The Muncie Police Merit Board has yet to ” break ” in local media.

If you’ve followed Amy Forshee Fisher’s story on ” The Beaver Chronicles, ” you have by now come to one of two conclusions – either the story is a lie or it is the factual timeline of a career and a family being systemically destroyed by a former DTF insider who wanted revenge, a police chief who did not have the honor and the guts to look after his MPD and a woman who was fighting for her career, as well as her ability to earn a living and raise her children.

It’s a long story of money, sex, corruption and abuse of power still in place in the Muncie Police Department and the people on the sidelines who had a stake in taking down a 14 year serving line patrolman / woman. A woman who kept her oath, but found herself targeted, one way or another. It’s the story of a hospital ER Nurse Practitioner who violated HIPAA law and who perhaps not coincidentally, is also married to an MPD law enforcement officer. It is about a local newspaper, who published a brief and somewhat sleazy article on the front page, without asking for comment from Ms Fisher or her attorney.

At the end of the day, it is a story about a cop who did her duty, but with very few people watching her back. Questions I had to ask, even as I had respected some of the names sure to pop up, became inevitable.

I have the easy job. I just note the facts and provide the timeline and the names. I’ve not lived in fear, want and despair.

This is the story of a woman who, as Edward Kennedy once said of his brother, the late Robert Kennedy – ” saw wrong and tried to right it. ” Oddly enough, Amy’ story could very well have ended much the same way, if not for her street smarts and sense of survival. It’s not paranoia…it’s not over – dramatization…it is, quite simply, the truth.

The large cast of characters will include : Mark McKinney, Jess Neal, Steve Stewart, Mayor Sharon McShurley, Mayor Dennis Tyler, MPD Chief Deb Davis, Scott Odell, various members of the MPD , Stephanie Henry RNP, the members of the Muncie Police Merit Commission, the Muncie City Attorney, the local FOP and its’ President, Brock Reagan and his estranged wife Kelli Reagan, and many others.

Included will be legal filings, documents and well as photos, along with an interview with Ms Fisher and her biography. I am sorry this is so brief today, but the larger article is being vetted by my legal team. Stay with me – it’s a truthful saga of what can happen when justice and law is perverted to fit ones’ personal agenda. I’m meeting with Amy tomorrow – to put the icing on an over-done cake.

Thank you for your interest and your sense of right and wrong.

MPD officer Amy F. Fisher

Perhaps one of the most puzzling aspects of The Case Against Amy Forshee Fisher has been the evidence which was found to be erroneous, faulty and sometimes coerced. In the public eye, some people never read further than the 8 December 2012 Walker / Roysden article in The Muncie Star Press. For those who do not remember the article, which I will not re-print due to copyright law, however MPD Chief Stewart was reported to have remarked in documents –  Fisher’s conduct had, “even without considering her past record, been a storybook example of what a Muncie police officer should not be.”

Considering Officer Fisher had been a law enforcement officer with the MPD since 1998, with several commendations in her files, this was quite a statement. Let’s take a look a look at what Chief Stewart and The Star Press brought to us for breakfast that cold December morning and examine those statements against the facts we know to have been proven false.

Among the allegations Stewart lodged against Fisher was that the officer interfered with an internal police investigation of her behavior after a threatening message was texted to a local woman.

This was later proven to be false, as Officer Fisher was, at the time the texts had been sent, escorting a shoplifting suspect to jail from Wal-Mart South. It was later learned the texts had been sent by L___R____, Officer Fishers’ niece, without the officers’ knowledge or approval. Granted, the niece was wrong and put her aunt at risk, but it’s my understanding L_____ R_____ had been told about and had seen the texts received received by her aunt, sent by the woman who filed a complaint against Amy Forshee Fisher. The niece was acting out of pure emotion and without her aunt’s knowledge or approval. Reckless and stupid, you bet – but, she has said she was tired of the harassment her aunt had suffered at the hands of a woman who was angry that her soon to be ex-husband was now seeing Ms Fisher. A total, by the way, of four ( 4 ) dates and according to Indiana state law, not against the law, as the gentleman in question had filed for divorce some months before a social relationship with Ms. Fisher. I do, however, numerous pages of texts sent by the soon to be ex – Mrs. B_____ R_____ to Amy Forshee Fisher. I also have a copy of the text the niece, L____ R_____ sent to K____D____R____, as well as copies of the texts sent to Officer Fisher by Mrs. K____D____R____. The niece subsequently recanted her statements to the Chief Stewart – saying she had been threatened and coerced. The fact also stands that the niece, L____ R_____ had not been given her Miranda Rights before speaking with the police.

After the matter came under the scrutiny of police investigators, Fisher urged her relative to not cooperate with investigators, Stewart said. This is not true. As previously stated,  Officer Fisher informed Chief Stewart that she advised her niece that if she received a subpoena, she would have to honor it. That is not obstruction of justice.

Stewart released reports from past incidents in which Fisher was given warnings or reprimands, including a traffic accident – she was T-boned in an accident downtown while responding to a call. An incident which still comes under close scrutiny for the manner in which it was handled.

The Big One…

Also included was a detailed report from September 2010, when Fisher — on duty and in uniform — went into the emergency department at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, ostensibly seeking treatment from injuries from frequent sex.

Again, untrue…although she was in uniform, just having been relieved on her shift and on her way home, Officer Fisher went to the ER for help with a Urinary Tract Infection and spoke with Stephanie Henry – an ER Nurse Practitioner, married to MPD lae enforcement officer Rick Henry. Henry said to Fisher – ” There are only two kinds of ways to get this kind of infection : too much sex or too much pop. ” Fisher replied : ” Well, I am a woman in my mid -30′s, so I do have sex, and I work late hours, so I drink alot of pop. ”  Officer Fisher received a prescription left BMH. Shortly thereafter, Officer Fisher was placed on Administrative Leave – with pay – pending an investigation. By the way, someone needs to bone up on the causes of UTI. Good luck on your CEU’s !

It was also reported that Officer was “loud and descriptive” about what had caused the problem and the body part affected and “straddled” a person in the emergency department, saying, “Oh yeah, baby, that is the way mama likes it.”

Officer Fisher adamantly denies this allegation and, curiously, no patient has come forward to make a complaint against Officer Fisher. This is especially curious…isn’t it ? Why didn’t in-house security immediately respond to what could have construed as assault, perhaps even sexual assault ? Police misconduct ? Surely, someone would notice an uniformed cop stradling someone in ER, almost to the point of orgasm ? Again, quite curious.

Fisher did not attend Thursday evening’s merit commission meeting, the police chief said…probably because neither she nor her attorney had been informed of the meeting, much less her status as with MPD.

These kinds of things aren’t fun,” Stewart said of the officer’s termination from the but the merit commission has sent a clear message to the Muncie Police Department they will not tolerate this behavior, and I applaud them for that.”

You know something, Chief Stewart, these things aren’t fun, but I doubt if you lost much sleep over it. After all, who would take up the case of one police woman – especially after just one scurrilous article in the local newspaper. I suspect you are about to find out how much fun it really isn’t. People who live in glass cellphones shouldn’t throw stones.

If you think this seems ridiculous, think again. It’s far from ridiculous. It’s been life-altering, as Amy is a single mother of two, trying to raise two sons – to keep them safe and sheltered and, fed and clothed. It’s not easy when, as Amy would say, ” you’ ve been painted as a whore on the front page of the local paper. ” So far, you’ve not even heard the worst of it and it does get worse.

And, you will get to know Amy, too. I do tease her from time to time. Amy is, the truth be told, a very attractive woman, but she’s alot like my friend Cynthia Yancy – no attitude about it. It doesn’t figure into her life. Her home is well decorated with family photos and children’s drawings. Whimsical and then, her spiritual side. I had my hopes set high to see how a sleazy sex freak would live, but was totally disappointed. And, we are going to take a look at the various text messages – via phone and Facebook. Those say alot more about the peripheral players than it ever does Amy, but it will give everyone an idea what she’s been living with for almost five years.

Oh…and by the way, Muncie StarPress….why did you ignore the biggest news of the week ?

The EEOC has come to town to serve both MPD and the Police Merit Board in the matter of Amy Fisher.

Amy And Deb

At this point, all we are doing is waiting. Waiting for someone ( someone, like, for instance, The City ) to respond to various filings on behalf of Amy Forshee Fisher. Waiting for the local media to hone in the real story, but I suspect their reporting will depend on The Powers That Be constructing some form of damage control and make their actions seem reasonable and correct. This would be a reasonable assumption, based on the original article which was devoid of facts and certainly prompted more curiosity and outrage than disgust. In that respect, we should all be grateful for the journalistic ineptitude and full on character assassination, which was somewhat less than a slam dunk for the Muncie Police Department leadership. I must admit, I am stunned that the local newspaper editor would possibly scream ” Run that baby ! ” – while expecting a surge in readership of perhaps in the low two digits.

While Officer Fisher was in the cross – hairs, due to her refusal to take part in the local DTF scandal involving Mark McKinney, MPD officer Jess Neal and several other officers and questioning why 118 cases she had filed as solid drug busts were never filed, the clock began to tick on Officer Fishers’ career and, quite possibly, her life.

As an officer, who had received numerous commendations during her 14 year career as an MPD law enforcement officer, there wasn’t much to attack…so, in a long tradition often used in government and the corporate world, it was about to go viral and extremely personal. The problem…Amy Forshee Fisher expected anything and everything. After two separate investigations regarding Officer Fishers’ professional life and, to some degree, her personal life and clearing her name – the big issue, on which the MPD would rest their complaints against Officer Forshee became ” The Texts, ” which launched several meetings and a complaint against Officer Fisher, starting the ” Conduct Unbecoming Of A Muncie Police Officer ” tsunami.

Officer Fisher didn’t fire the first cellphone Hellfire missile, but she’s paid for it.

This would be a delicate path and problematic, considering it’s very rare to point a finger at anyone without being splashed with the same sort of mud / character assessment, as almost everyone involved had a closet with a skeleton or two and no one wants to open that door, unless they are pretty sure someone has their back. In Amy’s case…no one had her back and her life was an open book. I’ve been reading and researching this case since December and, trust me, there are still many times I sit back and shake my head, or sometimes bad enough I venture into The Crime Scene, aka The Man Cave.

Add in various Facebook messages from ” sock puppets, ” and it reads like a high school slam book. Regardless of the fact Officer Fisher has been fired / quit / fired for reasonable cause ( we are still a bit foggy on the details, thank you City of Muncie, Indiana Department of Human Resources ) – the texts / messages continue although Amy has since taken steps to further protect her privacy.

Coming on Sunday – my usual Sunday Sorbet will be The Con – Texts Context.

Today, based on some of the questions and comments I’ve received lately, I thought I should write about my writing. It’s infinitely more interesting than my life – that’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

For me, writing was always a piece of cake. I have no idea why. From the early days in elementary school doing book reports, to high school newspaper articles and those ” Please, God…let there be essay questions on the Finals ” – words came so easy. Thank God, because the uni years would have been nightmarish without the flow of writing. Mother was forever telling me to write for a living. I quickly explained that writing for The Yorktown Broadcaster did not a career make. I also knew, even in those early days that writing had to be spurred by a passion or something humorous. Thanks to my husbands’ Navy career, no internet and trans – Atlantic calls being crazy expensive, my writing style evolved and improved, but for me it was a simple matter of communication.

Upon returning home, I was tempted to do to my stationary and pen what I did to my iron. Military wives may appreciate this – after decades if ironing uniforms to the point of being able to press the correct creases into shirts and pants in my sleep, I caught his eye during our PCS and held up the iron and said ” Watch and learn. ” Then, I dropped that iron onto the marble floor. My servitude was over and I haven’t ironed since. My sister was appalled, but she had an ironing fetish I never quite understood and my father was even more appalled, but then he always ironed his jeans. I felt the same way about writing anything – even shopping lists.

Until I started reading the local Muncie Star and the evening Muncie Press. Suddenly, the passion was back – about several local issues and that path led me to writing for Tiny Adams in his various campaigns. After Tiny’s passing, in determination to carry on Tiny’s dream that ” one person can make a difference, ” I volunteered to write and edit the local Democrat news letter, as they clearly needed something clean, clear and diverse. It looked promising until I informed the Party Chair, Margie Landers, that I was also writing for Steve Graves. ” Have you discussed this with Phil ? ” My head almost exploded. Why the Hell should I run a personal decision about a campaign candidate by someone who was no longer HMFIC at 214 ? Escorted into a private office, I was shown a personal file about Mrs. Steve Graves. I left the HQ…confused, insulted and angry. After some thought, I opted not to write for the Party. I felt it was hypocritical to write for a Party – The Party of The People – who didn’t respect personal choice.

Aside from the occasional Letter to The Editor, commenting on the StarPress Forums  and the beginning of a book now being edited, my writing was sporadic. Until the issue of flawed property tax assessments ans sky-rocketing property taxes hit the fan. Combine that with the reality of massive job loss in Delaware County and you have a disaster waiting to happen. Especially considering how many millions of tax dollars went up in smoke during the years when Muncie was flush with tax dollars.

I was writing again. Digging deep for information and asking the questions no one wanted to answer. The passion was back.

Then, one day, an especially badly written and , for the most part, unsourced story in the Muncie StarPress caught my eye…and it was obvious that there was more to this story, although there was never any follow-up. Until a friend of Amy Forshee Fisher contacted me and asked if I could help. I soon met with Amy and her attorney. It was obvious – she had a story that no one wanted to tell, because telling it would be harmful to a number of people in appointed positions in local government offices. It would be a deep story, but it would mean hours of work and research.

Very few people had Amy Forshee Fisher’s back.

Very few respected that every time she hit the street, she did it ” to protect and to serve ” the people of this City.

I hope we will see justice prevail, because justice failed Amy Forshee Fisher.

Amy F. Fisher and Her Gang

Allow me, with your kind indulgence, to speak about a recent comment regarding Ms. Fisher and her situation : she was a very proud and proficient law enforcement officer with the Muncie, Indiana Police Department until she was too good at your job and when the so-called ” right people ” were installed in positions of authority, her days were numbered and, in her heart, she knew it was coming. You do not help bring down an illegal money-making scam within the local MPD and our Prosecutor without some form of retribution. In the line of work she loved, it was just a matter of ” how ” it might happen. Amy was a good cop who had alot of contacts ” on the street, ” because for many years, that was her ” beat. ” She knew it could come either with violence or by the figurative ” knife in the back. ” Amy was one of ” The Good Guys ” and that was her downfall. Especially since no one in either Mayoral Administration ” had her back. ” Amy took an oath ” to serve and to protect, ” but no one protected Amy or tried to best serve her interests, much less her life and livelihood. Amy Forshee Fisher is a victim. If she just wanted to ” get paid, ” she would still be on the force, some officers might still be on the take and a certain Prosecutor would still be pocketing the loot. Amy earned her paycheck. That was all the pay she needed…for herself and for her children.

It’s been about three weeks since this was brought to the attention of Mayor Dennis Tyler and I had hoped he might prod the City into looking into this – to the countless untruths and to the reality that Amy Forshee Fisher was lied to, lied about and unfairly fired…no, she quit…no, she was justifiably terminated. Whatever the Hell the City of Muncie chooses to play on any given day, but the bottom line is just this – Amy Forshee Fisher is a victim and she is still waiting for justice and the chance to one day wear her beloved uniform and collect a paycheck for an honest days’ work, so to speak. Mayor, you have my phone number and Amy’s. This is NOT a departmental ” thing, ” because you are where the buck should stop. You are the Mayor.

The local media has chosen to ignore this situation, hoping it will go away. It’s not going away.

Tomorrow, I swear, only because I intend to finish my Text article after I post this entry, I will address the blogs and the personal rumors concerning Ms Fisher. In a word, I am going to blow this up.

The Site of The Baptism. Jordan.

Don’t worry…The Beaver will be back on Monday.

My stepmother once asked me what I thought about God – or maybe it was The Bible. I don’t know why she asked, but I know I didn’t have an answer. My mother asked that same question once and she didn’t like my response at all. That was a  long time ago – in a different time, a different place, different circumstances.

I do know the question of God, Jesus, The Bible, church, pro-life, pro-choice, Creationism, science and just about everything under the Sun concerning religion can start a fight faster than politics and that’s pretty darned fast. Today is what most folks call Easter. I’m not at all sure what Easter means – perhaps Wester, Norther and Souther were already taken. My neighbor, a woman I respect very much seem to hit it on the head – IF you are any one of a zillion religious denominations who observe the day as sacred and special. Miss Leita greets everyone with ” A Blessed Resurrection Day !  ” I think she nailed it.

When I was a kid, it was all about the Easter outfit, the Easter Basket and The Easter Bunny, because he had the candy.

I don’t really know what most of my friends believe – except for maybe less than a dozen and that’s because they observe their beliefs in almost aspect of their lives and it shows. It’s never affected our relationships, because I respect them and I try to be less of a Beaver when I am in their company. My usual self is fairly socially incorrect and, as my sister once observed, my people skills need work. A note here : this is not just restricted to religion. I am also politically incorrect.

I have enough Bible in me to understand what this day is about…it’s on a par, maybe even more sacred to some people than Christmas, because of what I was taught. Well, that’s neither here nor there, really. I’m not going to debate which religious observation is more sacred or the ” bigger deal. ” At least, with Easter or whatever you decide call it, people aren’t pumping up their APR on the AMEX and going nuts for two months hitting every mall within 75 miles.

If you are a sugar freak, chances are, you are going to have a great day. If you have an abiding faith, you will have a very great day.

It can be whatever is most in your head, heart and soul.

Belief-wise…I am more confused than ever, but for some reason, I will say I wish you and yours a Blessed Resurrection Day.

MPD officer Amy F. Fisher

Before we get into the aftermath of the firestorm which swept through Amy Forshee Fisher’s life and that is a whole other chapter of horrors – let’s bring everyone up to speed on the players…the drama…the shame that was, and is, the war against Amy Forshee Fisher.

THE BASICS : 

2 November 1998 : Amy Forshee Fisher began her career as a law enforcement officer with the Muncie Police Department. 

March 2008 : After 10 years of working as a serving patrolman / woman / person, Amy Forshee Fisher was assigned to work with The Drug Task Force. Within a short period of time, Officer Forshee found evidence showing certain DTF agents and then – Prosecutor Mark McKinney were accepting cash, real estate and vehicles from drug dealers and not following through with charges. 

Summer 2008 : In a meeting between Officer Fisher and Prosecutor McKinney, which was taped, Officer Fisher asked why cases she had filed were not being filed and was told, according to signed affidavits and various legal documents, to ” do ” ( or, participate ) in various actions which would have violated the law. This meeting became front page news in the Muncie Star Press and gave the McShurley administration just cause to call for an investigation of the DTF department, as well as the local prosecutor. 

Shortly thereafter, Prosecutor McKinney attempted to charge Officer Fisher with three ( 3 ) felonies : Residential Entry, Criminal Confinement and Dealing In A Controlled Substance. An extensive investigation carried out by the Indiana State Police and the FBI cleared Officer Fisher of any possible criminal action or violations. 

April 2009 : Officer Fisher left the DTF, to return to Uniform Division, working the midnight shift. 

July 2010 : Officer Fisher filed for divorce and in-house harassment began on a weekly basis.

Officer Fisher completed her shift and sought treatment for a Urinary Tract Infection at Ball Memorial Hospital, speaking with Stephanie Henry, RNP and the wife of an MPD officer. Ms. Henry suggested there would be only two ways to contract an UTI – ” Too Much sex or too much pop. ” Officer Fisher replied she was a single woman in her 30′s, so she does have sex and as to her late hours on the job, she did drink a great deal of pop. ” Officer Fisher received a prescription for the UTI and left BMH. 

Shortly thereafter, Officer Fisher was placed on administrative leave, with pay, pending further investigation. Officer Fisher was NOT notified of the nature of the investigation, nor advised of any complaint. At an appointment for evaluation, Officer Fisher was informed that a complaint had been filed against her in connection with the night she went to BMH ER for treatment / medication. It was alleged that she had conducted herself in an unprofessional and vulgar manner. 

It was only later, Officer Fisher had learned of a false allegation that she had straddled a person, saying ” Yeah, Baby – that’s how Mama likes it. “ 

Upon her return to duty, Officer Fisher was ordered to Chief Davis’ office and was suspended for two ( 2 ) days for alleged conduct unbecoming an officer. It is worth noting, at this point, ANY disclosure of Officer Fisher’s presence in the ER as a  patient violated both her privacy and HIPAA. 

December 2010 : Officer Fisher was informed that both the State Police and FBI investigations were closed, with a finding of no fault on her part.  

Officer Fisher categorically denies this ever happened and to this date, 2 April 2013, has no written complaint filed by the alleged victim been received by Officer Fisher and her legal team, nor has the alleged victim been identified. 

As my fingers are giving out and we have a long way to go today…please, refer to previous blog entries to ” catch up. “

At the end of the day…

It never happened as was described by the Chief and Jess Neal. Oh, one text did happen, but we mentioned that in an earlier blog post as well, but as it gave the hierarchy a little ammo, it is well worth a second mention – BUT, it did not happen as was stated, under oath. By the way, is that perjury…if you knowingly lie to a Police Merit Board hearing ? Just wondering. Then again, almost everything about The Curious Case of Amy Forshee Fisher makes me wonder…and, worry.

Amy’s niece, whose feelings of outrage far outweighed her judgment did make a text message to the estranged wife of a man with whom Officer Fisher had had four dates. He had filed for divorce seven months before approaching Officer Fisher for a date. It was proven impossible for Officer Fisher to have made that call, as she was transporting a prisoner to jail at the time. This one issue as well as the related issues were all then moot – except in the eyes of Chief Stewart, Internal Affairs Officer Jess Neal and quite possibly the reporters who covered the story for the Muncie Star Press.

Amy Forshee Fisher’s apartment has been forcibly entered.

Amy Forshee Fisher’s mother has discovered MPD acquired her phone records without her permission or knowledge, before the fact and without subpoena.

Since writing Amy’s story, there was an attempted entry at my home. Coming through a window is not nice and as I am somewhat handicapped, the idea of chasing down anyone is laughable, but I think I could shoot you down, without laughing.

The harassment continues, although the text messaging has slowed way down thanks to call blocking. Facebooking has hit a new high in lows, where Amy is concerned.

It is important that Amy Forshee Fisher’s story be told and done so in a timely manner and not be swept away with time and the fleeting sense of awareness we seem to have in this community.

Amy Forshee Fisher will not become another Loretta Armstrong. Another Dominique Ochs. Another Jamie Howell.

If you have to ask, then you understand why I mentioned the sense of awareness. Amy Forshee Fisher will not disappear into the cobwebs of our collective memories.

Next : those messages and continuing harassment…what’s happened to The Players…what WE can do !

Before the two next blog entries – The Texts and Messages and, finally, a head to head with Amy, I think something needs to be explained – why I am fighting so hard for Amy Forshee Fisher.

I didn’t know Amy when the StarPress article was published, but one of her good friends contacted me and asked if I would speak with her – that the story, as printed in the Muncie Star Press was a fabrication. I met Amy in her attorney’s office. He is a respected attorney and very concerned for not only her peace of mind, but her safety. The more I listened and the more paperwork I read, the more convinced I became that The Boys at the SP had it wrong. Reporting was kicked to the curb in that article, paving the way for a story which bordered on the soft porn edge of journalism. Nowhere in that article was Officer Fisher quoted, nor was her attorney…possibly because the reporters never bothered to speak with them. In fact, to this date, Officer Fisher has not been formally notified that she was being terminated.

Why does Amy Forshee Fisher matter ? Because she is a citizen and in this instance, her rights were never protected – and, according to some people, she was never protected, as a law enforcement officer. I truly this to be true. Because Amy Forshee Fisher was targeted by the very people she worked with and two administrations who failed her. Because this is to be swept under a rug, like so many other dirty dealings in this City and County.

Amy Forshee Fisher matters because she put on her uniform…she did her job. Amy Forshee Fisher put her life on the line every time went to work…to protect and to serve the people of this community. As a community, how can we close our eyes to this issue ?

Amy Forshee Fisher had OUR backs. It’s a damned shame no one had hers.

Tomorrow – the texts. Monday – Amy Forshee Fisher Answers The Questions.

Amy Forshee Fisher and Deborah King – Eichholz

The blogs are becoming more difficult to write, as more and more it becomes clear that whatever she says, whatever I might write, could impact her life, even more so than the public flogging she took at the collective hands of Muncie Police Chief Steve Stewart, IU / BM Hospital ER RNP Stephanie Henry and the writers at The Muncie Star Press. So clear was it a public flogging, that it begged to be blogged, as well as pursued in the courts.

Now, a few personal comments before I begin – Chief Stewart – you dumb fuck…it’s ” textbook cop, ” not ” storybook cop. ” If you are going to publicly gut a person, at least reference the correct phrase. Thank you. Next, to the citizens of Muncie who basically sign the paychecks for our public servants, demand better of your Administration, especially when it concerns who holds the reins of authority. That’s where we always screw up…we trust our elected officials to make those right choices. Seriously, would you give someone the HMFIC of Internal Afffairs when he was so obviously involved in one of this Citys’ and States’ biggest scandals…the very nature of which was so illegal, Al Capone is roasting away thinking ” I got nuttin’ on these gavones. ” And…you know what ? Al would be right.

Time to get down to business, so I will put away my shotgun of a mouth and get out my 357, so to speak.

The Beaver Shoots Straight

On a warm April day, I met with Amy Forshee Fisher…to flesh out her story and to find out where matters stand, at least legally. At this point, the City of Muncie is refusing to mediate matters with the EEOC, asking for an extension, in order to provide a response to the EEOC complaint, filed by Amy Forshee Fisher.

DKE ) ” Seriously ? They need more time ? This has been a hot mess for five years. What’s the problem ? They had no problem speaking to the press, if I remember correctly and that was….( looking through notes ) 8 December 2012, or within a few days of the date of publication. Amy, how do you feel about this ?

AFF ) I believe they are hoping this will go away, or else trying to manipulate evidence that’s not there. If the State Police cleared me, if the FBI cleared me…it’s not there. The Merit Board couldn’t even find it, although they moved on it – but, without informing me or my attorney. You know what they did to my niece.

DKE ) As if anyone could overlook that or forget that piece of work. One subway stop beyond waterboarding. Terrify and threaten a young girl into lies and perjury ? It was that important to bring you down, I think. The right people were now in the right positions to impale Amy Forshee Fisher on the spikes in The Court Of Public Opinion and they went full – tilt Torquemada on you, as well as your family.

AFF ) They sure did…we’ve been trying to cope for about five ( 5 ) years. Handle the publicity, the lies, the hardship of raising two kids for a long time without a paycheck. Those days when I couldn’t barely handle breathing – thinking 14 years…14 years. I loved my job. I loved going to work. I did good work and I was a good law enforcement officer. It was all I ever wanted…and, of course, my two sons.

DKE ) Let’s revisit your days on MPD. Would that be ok ? Especially the assignment to work the DTF ?

AFF ) That would be fine.

DKE ) There was a new Administration…Sharon McShurley had been sworn into office and she had named as Debra Davis as MPD Chief ? Many of us saw it as a chance that the MPD might be ” hosed down ” a bit. There had been alot of bad publicity regarding the MPD and it was widely seen as a police department in chaos. Not long after, you were assigned – you and Mark Craig – to DTF. Did you have any problems with that decision ?

AFF ) No problems at all. I wanted to go to DTF. I knew I could do the job right : legal, good, simply right.

DKE ) Before going to DTF, did you know about the forfeiture scam ? Any rumors in the MPD ?

AFF ) It was a very well-known secret that Mark McKinney and Jess Neal were getting ” fat ” off drug dealers’ houses, vehicles, cash and assets. DTF personel had been rumored, my entire career, to be thieves.

DKE ) As you know, I was a strong McShurley supporter, so this question is painful, but that’s the breaks. You blog, you ask the tough questions. Have you any idea why the McShurley Administration didn’t protect you ? Why didn’t Chief Davis protect you ? You were laying out the evidence of wrong-doing in DTF !

AFF ) I was obviously sacrificed. Mark Craig and I both realized ( that ) soon after being transferred to DTF. We both knew what we were doing would change our lives forever – we would not be accepted by our co-workers, again and we both knew we would not be protected. However, we both knew we could not turn our cheeks to corruption. Crooks did not deserve to wear the badges we were so proud and honored to wear. So, we DID discuss it and he tried to talk me out of it. He said we should just ” go back to the road and patrol. ” I told him no, this needed to be done, so we proceeded.

DKE ) Amy, I can see you are a bit shaken. Let’s take a break and pick this up tomorrow.  Would that be ok ?

AFF ) Yes, please.

DKE ) Thank you, Amy…for speaking out and standing up for yourself.

Coming tomorrow :

Who Won Big In DTF ?

The Real Estate In Play

The Hits Just Keep On Comin’…sometimes

AFF’s Present Status

MPD officer Amy F. Fisher

First, allow me to explain a few important points. A friend posted on my FB page to be careful if I am going into the DTF scandal, that it goes off in many directions, affecting many people and a warning to be careful…that those guys have long memories. I know that much, but DTF actually plays a small part in Amy’s story – but, it is a pivotal plot point, to be honest. If Amy had just drove and patrolled or did ” street work, ” she might still be in uniform. I am just writing the story the local media missed or elected to miss, or at the very worst, sensationalize. As for my own safety, that ship sailed the night a knife slit my office screen. It is not my intention to demonize the MPD or the Prosecutor’s Office in Muncie, Indiana, but to explain Amy’s story – a cautionary tale. I respect and admire MPD, as many times, the men and women have been under fire, literally and figuratively. The Prosecutor’s Office is now better managed than it was 5 or 6 years ago. Having said that, you cannot speak to Amy Forshee Fisher or about her, without DTF coming up.

On a dismal afternoon, I sat down with Amy Forshee Fisher yet again. Our meetings are always congenial and I am happy to say no question is off-limits. I’ve found her to be candid and direct. To recap, before we begin, The TimeLine :

THE BASICS :

2 November 1998 : Amy Forshee Fisher began her career as a law enforcement officer with the Muncie Police Department.

March 2008 : After 10 years of working as a serving patrolman / woman / person, Amy Forshee Fisher was assigned to work with The Drug Task Force. Within a short period of time, Officer Forshee found evidence showing certain DTF agents and then – Prosecutor Mark McKinney were accepting cash, real estate and vehicles from drug dealers and not following through with charges.

Summer 2008 : In a meeting between Officer Fisher and Prosecutor McKinney, which was taped, Officer Fisher asked why cases she had filed were not being filed and was told, according to signed affidavits and various legal documents, to ” do ” ( or, participate ) in various actions which would have violated the law. This meeting became front page news in the Muncie Star Press and gave the McShurley administration just cause to call for an investigation of the DTF department, as well as the local prosecutor.

Shortly thereafter, Prosecutor McKinney attempted to charge Officer Fisher with three ( 3 ) felonies : Residential Entry, Criminal Confinement and Dealing In A Controlled Substance. An extensive investigation carried out by the Indiana State Police and the FBI cleared Officer Fisher of any possible criminal action or violations.

April 2009 : Officer Fisher left the DTF, to return to Uniform Division, working the midnight shift.

July 2010 : Officer Fisher filed for divorce and in-house harassment began on a weekly basis.

Officer Fisher completed her shift and sought treatment for a Urinary Tract Infection at Ball Memorial Hospital, speaking with Stephanie Henry, RNP and the wife of an MPD officer. Ms. Henry suggested there would be only two ways to contract an UTI – ” Too Much sex or too much pop. ” Officer Fisher replied she was a single woman in her 30′s, so she does have sex and as to her late hours on the job, she did drink a great deal of pop. ” Officer Fisher received a prescription for the UTI and left BMH.

Shortly thereafter, Officer Fisher was placed on administrative leave, with pay, pending further investigation. Officer Fisher was NOT notified of the nature of the investigation, nor advised of any complaint. At an appointment for evaluation, Officer Fisher was informed that a complaint had been filed against her in connection with the night she went to BMH ER for treatment / medication. It was alleged that she had conducted herself in an unprofessional and vulgar manner.

It was only later, Officer Fisher had learned of a false allegation that she had straddled a person, saying ” Yeah, Baby – that’s how Mama likes it. “

Upon her return to duty, Officer Fisher was ordered to Chief Davis’ office and was suspended for two ( 2 ) days for alleged conduct unbecoming an officer. It is worth noting, at this point, ANY disclosure of Officer Fisher’s presence in the ER as a  patient violated both her privacy and HIPAA.

December 2010 : Officer Fisher was informed that both the State Police and FBI investigations were closed, with a finding of no fault on her part.

Officer Fisher categorically denies this ever happened and to this date, 2 April 2013, has no written complaint filed by the alleged victim been received by Officer Fisher and her legal team, nor has the alleged victim been identified.

******************************************************************************************************

That’s what we do know to be true. Let’s continue, shall we ?

DKE ) Hey, Amy. Good afternoon.

AFF ) Good afternooon.

DKE ) Are you up for more questions ?

AFF ) Of course.

DKE ) OK, I had planned to go more into the DTF mess, but a friend of yours was in touch asking that I flesh out the Ball Hospital incident and other issues pertinent to your situation. I also think this is a great idea. We can and we will return to DTF, in a bit. Is this ok with you ?

AFF) Of course, I trust your judgment.

DKE ) Thanks, Girl ! Now, let’s boogie.

AFF ) * Laughs *

DKE ) The Incident At IU / Ball Memorial Hospital…I know what happened and so do your friends, family, the FBI, the Indiana State Police and the loyal readers of The Beaver…do you mind discussing it ?

AFF ) No…not now.

DKE ) May I read a portion of the article, which appeared in the Muncie Star Press on 8 December 2013 ? I am curious, especially because by then, MPD knew the FBI and Indiana State Police had investigated and cleared you.

AFF ) I’ve never read the article, did you know that ? I just know what people have told me.

DKE ) Amy, if you would rather I didn’t….

AFF ) I trust you. Go on.

DKE ) Here goes :

Also included was a detailed report from September 2010, when Fisher — on duty and in uniform — went into the emergency department at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, ostensibly seeking treatment from injuries from frequent sex.

The police report said Fisher was “loud and descriptive” about what had caused the problem and the body part affected and “straddled” a woman in the emergency department, saying, “Oh yeah, baby, that is the way mama likes it.”

Stewart said Fisher received a suspension of two days for that incident.

DKE ) As I remember, you were just off duty, stopping by IU / BMH on your way home, for medical care. Not on duty, as was stated. Have mercy, they cannot even get the lies straight and I do mean lies. At the ER – take me back, if you don’t mind.

AFF ) I had just signed off shift, but before going home, I had to stop for a prescription. I was seen by Stephanie Henry, a Registered Nurse Practitioner, who was also married to a Muncie policeman. She was laughing and joking about UTI’s, so I’m not sure if she’s ever had one. I just wanted to get the prescription, get it filled and go home. I didn’t think anything about her remarks. She mentioned sex as a way of getting an UTI, but I certainly didn’t list it on a med sheet or even suggest it.

DKE ) Have you any idea why Ms Henry would have called the MPD or even told her husband ? As a nurse, she should know HIPAA rules and The Patient Bill of Rights. I believe your rights were violated as outlawed by both documents. Quite frankly, I question her motives. What makes a medical professional violate anyone’s rights ?

AFF ) I have no idea, but it’s quite obvious, she did…and the FBI and Indiana State Police found her statements unfounded. The article quoted her ?

DKE ) Well, the story was taken down by Chief Stewart’s statement ( to the Muncie Star Press ).

AFF ) Unreal.

DKE ) Even more is the story of you virtually ” humping ” a female patient. As a woman who has had her fair share of UTI’s, who doesn’t drink alot of soda and who doesn’t spend her time on her back or knees, I find it very strange that if it happened as quoted, the patient never filed a formal complaint, much less bring suit against the hospital or the City of Muncie and MPD.

AFF ) It never happened, that’s why. Never happened. I wouldn’t do it, for one thing. For another, I was in serious pain and if those things aren’t enough, I had on my work gear – which weighs at least 30 extra pounds. My Lord…all that was in the article. No wonder my family and friends were so upset. I knew it was bad…but, how bad…no. They made me out to be something I am not.

DKE ) Have you any idea why Ms Henry would have put her career and her professional reputation on the line ?

AFF ) Not a clue, but she didn’t tell the truth. The reports backs that up. Still, I had a suspension for something that never happened, but was stated by Stephanie Henry, RNP at IU / Ball Memorial Hospital to Muncie Police Chief Stewart and, I don’t know…did she speak with the media ?

DKE ) I’m not sure…but, you can bet the suits at IU / BM Hospital are asking that same question, too. If they aren’t, they need to. After all, if she’s can do this – who knows about anyone’s treatment being respected at the IU / BM Hospital ER ? I no longer have faith in my Right to Privacy.

DKE ) ” The Affair ” – the other big news. Care to speak to that ?

AFF ) It wasn’t an affair, unless you count four ( 4 ) dates with a man who had been separated from his estranged wife for some months a raging affair.

DKE ) Indiana law says a legally man or woman CAN see another person. Was the man a police officer ?

AFF ) No, he was a paramedic – and, still is, as far as I know. He testified on my behalf during the Police Merit Board hearings, for which I remain grateful.

AFF ) Can we take a break ?

DKE ) Of course.

***************************************************************************************************

Back tomorrow.

MPD officer Amy Forshee Fisher

By far, this could the most difficult blog article yet for several reasons one being there has been no secondary confirmation, two would be ” this shit just doesn’t happen in Muncie ! ” and, of course, my strong belief in that a blog is only as good as its’ writer and I was having doubts about my ability to accurately depict Life After DTF  for MPD officer Amy Fisher. The one thing I didn’t doubt was Amy’s honesty and determination to clear her name.  Amy has never been anything but truthful with me and quite open when I ask The Tough Questions. If you talk with enough people, interviews really, you get a feel for truth and for deception.

I welcomed Amy into my home again for a long conversation and a few tough questions. Amy is not a woman to be taken lightly – she’s actually quite ” Stevie Nicks wrapped in Rambo ” – so, one never takes her time for granted. Thankfully, her patience is far more forgiving. Considering what she’s been through for the last five ( 5 ) years, I suppose she has learned well the art of patience. I will admit, she’s by far the better woman, because my patience, for all that she has endured and for those whom have done their level best to destroy her, has grown thin. Amy believes in Redemption. That’s what carries her through – her beliefs and her children.

DKE ) Let’s get to it…hard core, right to the bone – you believe that your treatment at the hands of Muncie Chief of Police Steve Stewart and Internal Affairs officer Jess Neal was directly related to your work on DTF, in that you provided Mayor Sharon McShurley and her legal team with the information needed to go after the illegal Forfeiture scam ?

AFF ) Yes, I do. My record as an officer with the Muncie Police Department is clean. The FBI and Indiana State Police had already cleared me of those allegations long before the interview which was published in The Muncie Star Press on 8 December 2012. They were looking for anything, any way possible, to get rid of me.

DKE ) Literally or figuratively ? You know this question was coming. Let’s dig in. What the Hell was in the air ?

AFF ) The Summer of 2008, I had a drug deal set up one evening. ( During my time at DTF, an unidentified man called the office, often. This man would tell Mark the names of DTF hierarchy / officers*, the illegal forfeitures and the ongoing investigation. Everything the man told us was always confirmed as the truth. We never identified this man. )  A few hours before my drug deal on this particular night, the unidentified man called the DTF number and asked to speak with Mark Craig . The man told Officer Craig ” one of your investigators has a drug deal set up tonight and the investigator will be killed tonight. ” Officer Craig asked which investigator and the man replied he did not know, but he did know the location of the deal and the name of the confidential informant who is ” taking ” the investigator. The man continued on, telling Mark what he knew and it was my drug deal. Officer Craig asked who had arranged for me to be killed. The man replied ” the old DTF guys. ” ( PS…I have the name of the officer* who brokered the deal and I’ll ” deal ” with you later, my man – DKE )

DKE ) Most normal people who live in a somewhat normal town would be thinking ” no way, not in my town ” – but, as has been shown, I do know this town and what can happen to people. Especially good people getting in the way of bad people. Amy – what the Hell were you thinking ?

AFF ) Mark tried to talk me out of going on the deal, but I was stubborn. I would not be scared out of doing my job. I picked up my C1 and went to the area of 5th and Monroe Streets to do my drug deal, which was to go down between 12 am and 2 am. The deal was set to be done in the car. The dealer was supposed to approach the car and complete the transaction with my C1 in front. I was driving and the C1 was in the passenger side. My C1 took me to seven (7) different locations in the same neighborhood to meet the dealer. I wouldn’t sit in one location past two (2) minutes. My gut instinct told me to keep moving, which I did. The deal was never completed.

DKE ) You can’t hit a moving target so easy, huh ?

AFF ) A few months later, that same C1 got into trouble, calling me, asking for help. I told the C1 I would try to help, but we needed to talk. I met with the C1 and brought up the drug deal at 5th and Monroe on that particular night and that I was supposed to be killed. I wanted to know who placed the order on my life and how it was supposed to be done. The C1 told me ____ _____*, former DTF officer, contacted the C1 and told him to have me in a certain location. There would be a drive-by shooting and I was to have been shot and killed. The drive by did not happen, because I had kept on the move.

DKE ) Amy…let’s break for coffee, please.

AFF ) Yes, please.

More to come

* Names available on request

Deborah King – Eichholz

While working on another blog, for Amy Forshee Fisher, I was drawn into a conversation with a friend who also endures the debilitating Rheumatoid Arthritis. With your kind indulgence, I’ll continue that conversation, albeit one – sided, here and pick up with ” A Conversation With Amy ” tomorrow. For this moment in time, however, I have much to say to Lina and Melva – because it’s the right thing to do.

My dearest Lina and Melva…no one asks for autoimmune disease. It’s not as if those who are diagnosed somehow abused their bodies and must suffer the consequences. It just hits and keeps on hitting. It’s not a punishment from God, either. It just ” is. ” The jury is still out on who, why, when, where and why. It just happens and it’s not going away. We may go into remission, maybe – but, that isn’t a cure and it will return. No one will ask ” why ” more than those who cope with RA, SLE or anyone of countless illnesses which fall under the autoimmune category – it just happens. You just somehow find yourself waking up every morning and hoping you can walk or even hold a toothbrush. You will push yourself to the limit because that’s the basic reaction…to try and overcome new hurdles and challenges which were once everyday and normal activities…and you will hate it, because it’s not you. Not the ” you ” who grew up with a different set of plans in his or her head.

Your social life sometimes undergoes radical change. Mobility can be a horrific issue and suddenly you are carting around a wheelchair or, if lucky, an electric scooter. Your bathroom now looks like a hospital bathroom and a soothing, relaxing bath becomes an almost impossible dream, unless you mortgage your home for renovations. You begin acquiring equipment to make life easier and it does. Everything changes, but in the back of your mind you still hope one day, the pain will ease and getting around is somehow achieved with ease.

In the meantime, you hope the people nearest and dearest will understand and will be patient if you can’t do it all and do it in a timely manner. You hope they will understand and if they don’t, make an effort to learn what you are dealing with and how best to help themselves adapt. Find your ” sherpa. ”  The person who understands and will help guide you through a treacherous walk or wobble down a very slippery slope. Do not walk it alone, because it’s lonely and isolating – the last things you need in life, at this point. Love yourselves enough to educate yourself. This will come in handy as you navigate the channels of the various papers, books and medical teams.

Learn to say ” no ” when you have reached your limits and learn to listen to your body, because as we do know, this is the body attacking itself. If you push yourself too hard, your body will ” bitch slap ” you into next week. This, I suspect, we’ve all known by experience. I know I have, several times. You’ll end up in bed, exhausted and aching, wondering ” Why the Hell did I do it ? ” and praying that if the pain lets up and allows the body a fast recovery, you will do ANYTHING to make up for being so reckless.

Most of all, don’t let anyone ever tell you this is all in your head. That you are ” milking it. ” Never allow anyone to dictate your condition or how you deal with the symptoms. They aren’t living inside your bodies. Don’t allow yourself to be bullied – not even by your medical team. Not family. Not friends.

Make your home, or ( even better ) have someone help make your home more accessible and ” user-friendly. ” Make it comfortable, too – because God knows we all know how uncomfortable this life can be. Find out what works for you and go with it.

Above all else, don’t ever feel guilty about what you go through. It’s your walk…and, you always have my phone number.

The Beaver

For some months, I’ve been blogging on the situation of Amy Forshee Fisher and the various persons involved in the loathsome attack on her character and her professionalism, which resulted in a monstrous negative effect on her life and those people who love and respect her. While I’ll not write solely about Amy today, I must say I am surprised The Powers That Be allowed this pre-emptive and destructive action, considering those involved were proven to be neck-deep in old scandals and yet they held on to their jobs – indeed some were elevated in status, rank and pay grade. It’s more than hypocritical, but Amy Forshee Fisher is still fighting for her name, her profession and her peace of mind. We expect more information to emerge this week and I will address one of the most heinous accusations in a few days – that of The Text Messages.

The Muncie Star Press comment sections continue to be nothing more than Valentines in some cases and, in others, sheer paranoia, lies and slander of the worst kind. I know some people have been banned for their actions, while others seem to have been granted amnesty, if not a blind eye. I rarely do post comments, but if I do, it’s for a very good reason. I do not enjoy the verbal pistol-whipping that happens all too often. Lord knows, back in the day, I could fire a volley big enough to sink a barge, but dueling with stupid commentary is pointless. Truthfully, I also sneer at the ” rah-rah ” girls who serve only to wake everyday, slap on their virtual knee pads and hop off to their keyboards – only to cheer on the ignorant and those who never question the things as they are.

I’ve waited three years to say this, but I feel I must and it gives me no pleasure – in May of 2009, several of us wrote extensively of the financial debacle which would surely bitch slap this county and – WE WERE RIGHT ! ! ! We saw it coming and I have to wonder, why didn’t the elected officials see it, as well ? Perhaps they did and somehow figured money would somehow fall into their laps. The fact is, we kept electing the same people who made life Hell for those in Royerton, those who would have ruined the natural beauty of Prairie Creek Reservoir and those who would often re – write laws and ordinances to suit their own agendas. As much as I hope we will see intelligent life in elected office in my lifetime, I would also wish for a citizenry who actually get off their Barcaloungers and vote – and vote informed and well-educated.

Stay tuned, folks…it is going to get interesting.

I knew that would get your attention. Go on, admit it…it worked. Actually, the back row of the Muncie Drive-In chain of information was moronic more often than not and had nothing to do with education of any sort, unless one counts what not to believe.

This week, I was hoping to have news of The Curious Case Of Amy Forshee Fisher, but as of this date, 10 May 2013, the City of Muncie is still dragging its’ heels, which isn’t surprising. When last head from, a spokesman for the City said there was no response, as yet, to the EEOC filing, as the City needed time to formulate a response. I suppose ” Someone screwed up ” wasn’t not an option. If, by refusing to discuss or mediate, the City of Muncie thinks this will drift away into the past, the City of Muncie would be wrong.

I do have a blog almost completed, but there is one major problem I am having with it – that it would open up a man I respect to possible problems he doesn’t deserve, even if I do believe his soon to be ex-wife deserves every shot possible. Once I can articulate that into a blog which clearly outlines the issues and sheds light on a topic brought into the glare of public scrutiny by MPD Chief Steve Stewart, you betcha it’s going to hit the net. ” The Context of  The Texts. ” Keep an eye open.

We’ll also take a long walk into the old DTF situation – especially who made how much, because that how much a cops’ career is worth…and, perhaps her life. I’ve done the dirty work – the slogging through tax records and such, just to make it very clear and easy to understand.

Then, a major recap – with all the starring players.

What say ye, Star Press ? What say ye, IU/ Ball Memorial Health ? If I were Mayor of The City of Muncie, I’d want this wrong righted. Then again, I am not the mayor. What say ye, Dennis Tyler ?

When it came right down to it, it was ironic as Hell. Mother would always, when making a point, spread her fingers across her chest and say, with great gravity, ” Can I just say one thing ! ” We would roll out eyes and think, ” if only. ” When Mother stroked, she spent seven months, unable to speak…if only she could have said just one word. If only.

We miss you and we love you, Mother.