The preliminary hearing for former Wabash County Sheriff’s Deputy Chase Cheadle has been rescheduled for December 11th following a court order that moved the date from the originally planned session. This marks the eighth delay in Cheadle’s preliminary hearing since the legal process began in November 2024.
Cheadle, formerly a canine handler for the sheriff’s department, initially faced eight charges, including four counts of official misconduct, one count of theft, one count of cruelty to animals, and two counts relating to animal owner duties. Five of these charges were felonies. However, in June, two felony charges—one count of theft and one count of official misconduct—were dismissed at the request of Special Prosecutor Brian Towne.
The case stems from a July 2024 incident in which Cheadle found Kiki, the department’s canine, unresponsive. He was subsequently arrested after an investigation and resigned from the department the following month.
The court will determine at the December 11th hearing whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.