Indiana State Trooper Fired: Brian Hamilton Preached To Drivers He Pulled Over, Loses Job


Indiana State Trooper Brian Hamilton has been fired from his job for preaching to motorists he had pulled over, after a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) highlighted the cop’s continued attempts at proselytizing even after he had been warned against it.

As the New York Daily News reports, Hamilton, who was fired last week, had been an Indiana State Trooper for 14 years. In 2014, according to the Anderson, Indiana, Herald Bulletin, Hamilton was counseled in August, 2014, after a complaint from a motorist that he had used a traffic stop as an occasion to promote his church.

Indiana State Trooper Fired
Indiana State Trooper Brian Hamilton was fired for preaching to motorists he had pulled over. [Image via Indiana State Police]
Motorist Ellen Bogan said that Hamilton pulled her over and, during the traffic stop, gave her a pamphlet from First Baptist Church in Cambridge City, Indiana. Hamilton also recommended a podcast to Bogan, “Policing for Jesus Ministries.”

After Bogan’s complaint, Hamilton’s bosses issued him a formal directive to stop preaching while on the clock.

“During the course of his official duties, [Trooper] Hamilton will not question others regarding their religious beliefs nor provide religious pamphlets or similar advertisements.”

As it turned out, Hamilton’s warning appears to have fallen on deaf ears, and by January, 2015, was back to preaching to pulled-over motorists.

On January 14, Wendy Pyle formally filed a complaint with the Indiana State Police. Ms. Pyle said that Hamilton pulled her over near her home and, during the traffic stop, asked what church she attended and if she was “saved.” In order to put an end to the awkward — and illegal — line of questioning, Mrs. Pyle lied and said she was saved.

Later, she says, she was approached by someone from Hamilton’s congregation, who told her that she had been placed on a “prayer list.”

Besides filing a formal complaint, Ms. Pyle also filed a lawsuit with the Indiana State Police, alleging that the proselytizing during the traffic stop violated her civil rights. She’s represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which claimed in its lawsuit on Pyle’s behalf that she found the whole encounter “intimidating.”

“Ms. Pyle was extremely uncomfortable with these questions.”

While Ms. Pyle’s lawsuit against the State Police has yet to be settled, the allegations of on-the-job impropriety against Hamilton have caught up to him. Last Thursday, according to State Police Superintendent Doug Carter, Hamilton was given a hearing and then fired.

“While I respect Mr. Hamilton’s religious views, I am also charged to respect every citizen’s rights, and the best way forward for the citizens of Indiana, and for Mr. Hamilton, was to end his employment as a state police officer. Making the decision to end a person’s career is not a decision I make without considerable thought. I truly wish Brian the best in his future and the ability to follow his heart.”

Hamilton was given 15 days to appeal. As of this writing, it is not clear whether or not he will do so.

For his part, Hamilton declined to comment directly on his firing, according to Christian Post. He did, however, say that in a general sense, he works for God first, and the State of Indiana second.

“I work for the state but ultimately, I’m a soldier for Jesus Christ. God has used that job in the last three years what it was supposed to be meant for, and that was to spread the Word to tell people when they’re hurting, the truth. Government programs cannot touch anybody, it’s the Word of God that can change people.”

Do you believe Indiana State Trooper Brian Hamilton deserved to be fired for preaching to motorists?

[Image via Shutterstock/Joseph Sohm]

Share this article: Indiana State Trooper Fired: Brian Hamilton Preached To Drivers He Pulled Over, Loses Job
More from Inquisitr