Lake County, Ind., Jail Warden Resigns Amid Drunkenness Allegations
CROWN POINT, Ind. (CBS) -- The warden at the Lake County Jail in Northwest Indiana has stepped down, amid allegations that he was drunk when he showed up to the scene of a fatal hit-and-run crash that left one of his correctional officers dead.
Warden Jeffrey Kumorek was originally placed on sick leave after the crash on March 6 crash that killed correctional Officer Britney Meux, 25, and injured three other officers.
The Northwest Indiana Post-Tribune reports Kumorek apparently arrived at the scene drunk. He was also apparently drunk when he came to Meux's funeral in Hammond, Ind., this past Monday, the Post-Tribne reported.
Lake County Sheriff John Buncich said Kumorek resigned, but neither he nor Kumorek himself would comment to the Post-Tribune on the allegations.
Kumorek is a retired Chicago Police officer and a former Gary, Ind., police chief, the Post-Tribune reported.
Meux was killed instantly when the sport-utility vehicle slammed into her and the three other officers, as they jogged around the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point, Ind., as part of a training exercise.
The other officers – David Murchek, 26; Latasha Johnson, 34; and Delano Scaife, 22 -- were seriously injured, but survived.
Unemployed bricklayer Jason Cozmanoff, 42, now stands charged with one count of reckless homicide and three counts of criminal recklessness. He had been expected to plead guilty earlier this week, but a court hearing Wednesday ended with no plea agreement.
