On April 19th of this year, FWPD Sgt. Joshua Hartup, 46, struck and killed pedestrian Henry Najdeski at the intersection of Main and Calhoun Streets in downtown Fort Wayne. Najdeski, 52, had the green light and was in the crosswalk when struck by Hartup's vehicle.
Recently, Sgt. Hartup appeared in court before a local magistrate, where he learned the penalty for recklessly ending a human life: a $35.50 fee for failing to yield the right of way. Thirty-five bucks.
Even though Sgt. Hartup had four other incidents while behind the wheel and had received both letters of reprimand and a suspension, Allen County Prosecutor Michael McAlexander declined to prosecute Hartup in Najdeski's death.
Najdeski's senseless death remains heart-breaking but Hartup's slap on the wrist is an outrage.
Update: 21 September 2023—Najdeski's family has begun a scholarship in his honor at Fort Wayne's Canterbury School, a worthy tribute to which Joshua Hartup, Michael McAlexander, and every dues-paying member of the Fort Wayne Patrolmen's Benevolent Association should contribute.
There's more to come in the next dispatch.