Off-duty Martinsville officer arrested after allegedly pointing gun at woman

GREENWOOD, Ind. – A Martinsville officer was arrested after an incident at a Greenwood bar early Saturday morning, Fox59 reported.

Greenwood police arrested Brandt Summitt for public intoxication and resisting law enforcement.

Summitt was transported to the Johnson County jail where he was later released on bond.

"Something like this is very disappointing because we feel like we need to represent the community in a very professional way and so disappointment is the biggest thing I think that comes to mind," Martinsville Police Sgt. Jeremy Sipes said.

According to a police report, Summitt was at the Barn at Bay Horse Inn for a concert. His friend, who also identified himself as a Martinsville officer, told police that Summitt became very intoxicated. They got into an argument, and Summitt started walking towards the wooded area.

Court documents state the man told officers: "Mr. Summitt was going through a lot of personal issues, but he is not sure why he was acting the way he was tonight."

A witness called police around 1:20 a.m. after witnessing the argument. Two reported seeing a man in the woods with a gun and another witness told police when she approached Summitt to try to calm everyone down, he pointed a gun at her and told her to back up.

When police arrived, they tried to speak with Summit, but instead, he walked further into the woods.

A K9 officer was called to help search for him; he was later found lying on his back under a bush at the entrance to the Barn at Bay Horse Inn. He was taken into custody.

While conducting a search of him, a Greenwood officer located three pocket knives, three handcuff keys, two firearms holsters, a Martinsville Police Department badge and ID card, and a Glock magazine. Under the bush they found a fully loaded Glock 27 firearm, with one round in the chamber.

Police say he could not maintain his balance on his own, and he blew 0.238 on a portable breath test.

He was placed on paid administrative leave before being terminated. He can still go through an appeals process.

“We will look into this like we look into any incident,” said Martinsville Chief of Police Matt Long. “We’re cooperating with the other agencies and can appreciate them doing their job.

“We don’t tolerate that type of behavior. Wearing a badge doesn’t give someone the right to just go out and do anything.”

Members of the community recalled their encounters with Summitt.

"He was a great officer, he treated the community very well," Kalynn Derringer said. "Like I said he's human, everybody makes mistakes."

Another community member, who is a recovering addict, described the understanding and empathy Summitt showed her when she lost her children. She said he gave her encouragement throughout her sentence and when she started working, knew exactly how long she had been clean.

Summitt was brought on as a reserve in 2015, and he has worked full time for the department since 2016.

The owner of the Barn at Bay Horse Inn, Amanda Cottingham, also released a statement on the incident:

"On Friday evening my staff was cleaning after an event inside The Barn at Bay Horse Inn when it was brought to our attention that an altercation had taken place in front of the facility. The unfortunate events that transpired are alarming to all of us at The Barn at Bay Horse Inn. We take necessary measures to ensure guests who attend events at our venue may do so with peace of mind, and we pride ourselves on operating a safe and hospitable environment. I'm proud to say that we have hosted more than 300 events and not once have we encountered this type of incident. Reckless and irresponsible behavior is not tolerated at our venue and we will remain dedicated to upholding this standard. I especially want to thank local law enforcement for the manner in which they handled this incident. Their quick response prevented this individual from harming himself and others during this senseless altercation and for that we are extremely grateful. We will continue operating and maintaining a safe and friendly environment, and we look forward to the many events still to come this year."

This story originally appeared on Fox59.com.