Wrecker owner indicted, but on lesser charges in constable’s assault

A Whitley County wrecker service owner is facing a misdemeanor indictment after being arrested last month by a constable for fleeing from police and striking a constable’s cruiser during the pursuit.
Monday morning, the Whitley County Grand Jury indicted Jerry L. Bunch, 56, of Williamsburg, for second-degree fleeing or evading police, fourth-degree assault and second-degree criminal mischief in relation to the Feb. 1 incident.
Constable Jim Thornton had originally charged Bunch with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, first-degree fleeing or evading police, first-degree assault, no insurance, careless driving, failure to wear seatbelts and menacing.
Bunch is owner of Jerry’s Auto Sales and Jerry’s Towing Service.
Thornton and Bunch give different accounts of the incident with Bunch claiming that the arrest was payback for making a complaint about the constable.
“It’s a personal thing about the towing situation. It has been going on for a while,” Bunch said last month. Bunch has accused Thornton of steering business to his brother’s wrecker service at accident scenes.
The indictment alleges that Bunch wantonly disobeyed a direction by Thornton to stop his motor vehicle, and that he struck Thornton’s cruiser injuring him and damaging the vehicle.
“It was kind of a difficult situation for the grand jury,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble.
He said that he doesn’t know what the grand jury was thinking, but that they reviewed the evidence and a News Journal story about some history between Thornton and Bunch prior to rendering their decision.
“It caused the grand jury some concern. The grand jury was also concerned that a police officer – whoever he was – should not be treated like that. This is what they decided with this resolution to the case,” Trimble said.
Bunch faces up to a year in jail if convicted on all counts, Trimble said.
Had Bunch been indicted on felony charges, he would have faced up to five years in prison if convicted.