HOBART, Ind. — A Hobart police corporal has been charged with battery and intoxicated driving after an off-duty incident on the evening of Aug. 14, the department said Friday, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana.
The department named the officer as Cpl. Mike Gallagher.
Key facts
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Cpl. Mike Gallagher, Hobart Police Department | Hobart police, via The Times |
| Charges | Battery resulting in serious bodily injury (felony); battery resulting in bodily injury (misdemeanor); operating while intoxicated (level not specified) | Hobart police, via The Times |
| When | Evening of Aug. 14, 2026, while off duty | Hobart police, via The Times |
| Where | 911 call to the 1300 block of Jackson Street | Hobart police, via The Times |
| Investigated by | Lake County Sheriff's Department, at Hobart's request | Hobart police, via The Times |
| Job status | Paid administrative leave; chief asked for unpaid leave | Hobart police, via The Times |
What police said happened
Hobart officers were sent to a 911 call in the 1300 block of Jackson Street on Aug. 14. The call was about a disturbance involving several people, the department said.
"Upon arriving, officers determined that one of the individuals involved was an off-duty Hobart police officer," police said.
Hobart asked the Lake County Sheriff's Department to take the case so the investigation would be independent and impartial. Gallagher was put on paid administrative leave while separate criminal and internal investigations ran.
The department did not say what the officer is accused of doing that night.
Leave and the department's statement
Police Chief Garrett Ciszewski has asked the city's board of works to put Gallagher on unpaid administrative leave until the criminal case is over, "consistent with customary procedure and state law," The Times reported.
"The criminal charges filed against Cpl. Gallagher are serious, but they concern the alleged actions of one individual," the department said on social media. It said the charges should not take away from the work of the department's 67 other officers.
The department declined further comment on either investigation.
What's still unknown
The charging document was not public Friday. When The Times asked for it, the Lake County Prosecutor's Office cited a "motion of non disclosure until his arrest or brought within the custody of the court." No court date was listed in the published report.
Gallagher is presumed innocent. Criminal charges are accusations, and the state must prove them in court.
Photo credit
¹ Main Street in downtown Hobart, Indiana — photo by Dennisyerger84 at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. This copy is shared under the same license. Illustrative; not connected to the case.
² Downtown Hobart — photo by Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license. Illustrative; not connected to the case.
³ Lake George from Festival Park, Hobart — photo by Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for web; this copy is shared under the same license. Illustrative; not connected to the case.
