Bunker Hill fires town marshal one year after entire police force quit

CLOSE

In resignation letters, officers said council members asked them to “do illegal, unethical, and immoral things.” Nate Chute/IndyStar

BUNKER HILL, Ind. — A small northern Indiana community is without a town marshal for the second time this year following the recent firing of its top officer.

Bunker Hill Clerk-Treasurer Andrea Newnum says Town Marshal Aaron Dague was fired on Dec. 8 by the town council for conduct unbecoming an officer.

She declined to say what led to Dague's firing, but said information about that incident had been forwarded to State Police.

Dague could not be reached for comment Friday. A Swayzee, Ind., telephone listing for Dague rang to an unrelated business.

The Kokomo Tribune reports Dague was hired as marshal of the town of about 900 residents in February after its former marshal and four deputies resigned in December 2016.

Michael Thomison, the town marshal at the time the entire police department resigned, said he and his fellow officers did so after addressing the town council several times with concerns about officer safety and budgeting. Thomison also accused town council members of asking them to do “do illegal, unethical and immoral things," such as run background checks on other board members.

The Miami County Sheriff's Department is now handling Bunker Hill's police calls.

IndyStar reporter Holly Hays contributed to this report.

► Bunker Hill: What officers' departure means for residents

► More: After police force quits, town council members asked to resign over criminal concerns