Published: September 11, 2007 01:27 pm      

Clarksville police officer arrested again

Mikel arrested on privacy, alcohol charges; already facing drug charges

Franklin E. Mikel, a Clarksville police officer who is on unpaid leave while facing drug charges, was arrested in Sellersburg early Monday morning after allegedly violating a restraining order taken out by his estranged wife.

Sellersburg Assistant Police Chief Donnie Ross said officers arrested Mikel on suspicion of operating while intoxicated, public intoxication and two counts of invasion of privacy.

Ross said Mikel called his estranged wife early Monday morning and then was spotted by an officer pulling into her driveway. Ross said the officer’s wife has a restraining order against him.

In April, Mikel was charged with three Class A felony drug counts and was subsequently placed on unpaid leave from the Clarksville Police Department. Indiana State Police arrested Mikel on April 4 after he allegedly sold 30 morphine pills to an informant outside of Greentree Skateland, which Mikel owned.

During a telephone interview this morning, Mikel’s attorney Larry Wilder said he was aware of the arrest and said he expects Prosecutor Steve Stewart to ask that Mikel’s $50,000 court-cash bond be revoked by Clark Superior Court 2 Judge Cecile Blau.

Wilder did not have immediate access to Mikel’s file this morning, but said the officer’s trial is scheduled for “later this year.”

Wilder said the incident Monday was related to “a recent filing of divorce by (Mikel’s) estranged wife.”

Ross said Mikel had called his wife approximately an hour before pulling into the driveway at her home and that officers had already moved her to another location by the time Mikel arrived.