Elkhart police chief reports reprimand and four‑day suspension after rifle discharge

At the Elkhart Police Merit Commission meeting on Sept. 3, Chief Tim Ellenace reported two personnel disciplinary notifications: a letter of reprimand for Corporal Nathaniel (also referenced as Daniel) Eddy and a four‑day suspension without pay for patrolman Josh Gorbholt for unsafe firearms handling.

On the reprimand, Ellenace said the corporal received a letter for an incident that generated an external complaint and alleged policy violations; the action will be accompanied by corrective training and supervisor counseling. "As far as I know, he's not contested the discipline with his 48 hour window per the statute," Ellenace said.

Regarding Patrolman Gorbholt, Ellenace told the commission the officer was issued a "4 day suspension without pay" after what the chief described as "an unintentional discharge of a weapon. It was a rifle. It was being removed from the rack" and, contrary to safety protocol, a round was chambered. "That weapon was fired. It caused no injury. However, it did obviously cause some damage inside of the squad cars," Ellenace said. The chief said the officer was notified on Aug. 27 and, to his knowledge, has not contested the discipline to the commission.

No commission vote was recorded on either disciplinary action; Ellenace presented them as notifications and said corrective training would accompany the discipline. The chief also noted the department will address equipment damage and continue internal procedures related to the incidents.

Commissioners did not register any public comment or formal appeals during the meeting. The chief characterized the suspension as administrative action taken under department protocols; the statutory 48‑hour contest window referenced in the meeting was mentioned but no specific statute citation was provided.