Logansport police officer under investigation for child neglect

A Facebook post of a small child being forced to stand in the cold while holding a degrading sign has went viral, accusing the father, a Logansport Police officer, of child neglect.

The Logansport Police Department has placed one of its officers on administrative leave this week following allegations of child neglect. 

Logansport Police Department Chief Travis Yike stated in a press release that the Indiana State Police is conducting an investigation into the officer implicated following multiple calls to Cass Central Dispatch on Sunday on allegations of child neglect after a Facebook post that allegedly showed a small child standing outside holding a sign that said “I want to stab and kill my brother, I even take an antipsychotic. If you need to give pity, then give it to the victims.” 

The original Facebook post was made by Rebecca Gibbs, who saw the situation, posting a photo of the girl after she had seen her while leaving a relative's home. Gibbs reported that initially she hadn't noticed a problem with the child being outside until she saw the sign and exited her vehicle to investigate. She reported that it was estimated the girl had been outside around 30 minutes and appeared cold, shivering and upset.

Aware the child's father was a Logansport Police Officer, Gibbs requested that the officer being dispatched to the scene not be the girl's father. Gibbs claimed that the father was the first officer to arrive on scene anyways, but that another officer did eventually arrive to the scene around 10 minutes later. She also reported that during the interaction the girl's mother was allegedly seen giggling while watching out the window. Gibbs filed a report with the Cass County DCS and eventually decided to post the photo to social media.

Indiana State Police confirmed that a full investigation on the situation had began Sunday and findings will be presented to the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration. 

“As an organization committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and service to the community, Logansport Police Department is dedicated to ensuring that all actions by officers are consistent with our values and policies. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which will be conducted fairly and impartially,” Yike said in the press release. 

The LPD said there will be no further public comments made about the incident until the investigation is complete.