The North Webster man who resisted arrest so much so that he injured Warsaw Police Dept. officer Joel Popenfoose was given a four-year suspended sentence Monday.
Brandon S. Mulldune, 32, of 10 EMS W29 Lane, North Webster, appeared in front of Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed Monday and was sentenced to three years in the Indiana Department of Corrections for Level 5 felony battery causing bodily injury to a law enforcement officer conviction and one year in the IDOC for a Level 6 possession of methamphetamine conviction. The four years are all suspended to formal probation, including Mulldune must get evaluated for anger issues.
According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, on July 19, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in reference to a warrant on another person, but when they arrived, Mulldune was present and he also had a warrant out for his arrest. While Popenfoose was arresting Mulldune, Mulldune resisted, causing both men to fall to the ground. Popenfoose suffered several cuts that were bleeding on his wrist, a cut to the right elbow and pain to his wrist from the incident, court papers state. Other officers were required to assist at the scene to gain full control over Mulldune, and upon doing so, discovered Mulldune was hiding a baggie of methamphetamine in his mouth and trying to swallow it.
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Hampton told Reed it appears by Mulldune’s history he does have some anger issues.
Reed noted that Mulldune also needs to stay on his mental health treatment plan.
“I think Brandon realizes when he picks and chooses when to listen to his counselors, things don’t go so well,” Mulldune’s attorney, John Barrett, said.
“I’d like to say I’m sorry. I’d like to apologize to Joel Popenfoose. I was on drugs real bad. And to his family for taking him away from them,” Mulldune told the judge.
Apparently citing a sealed court document, Reed said to Mulldune, “You say he (Popenfoose) saved your life at one time. Is this how we thank a man?”
“No,” Mulldune said.
“You stay on your treatment or you’re going to end up in DOC. It’s a four-year sentence. It’s suspended. Don’t risk serving any of this time. You don’t want to go to prison, you know what you need to do,” Reed said.
