After months of delays, the preliminary hearing for former Wabash County Sheriff’s Deputy Chase Cheadle was finally held last Thursday, with a judge ruling that probable cause exists for the case to proceed. Cheadle entered a not guilty plea to the remaining charges. A pretrial hearing is now set for February 19th.
Cheadle’s preliminary hearing, originally scheduled for November 2024, had been postponed multiple times. The former sheriff’s department canine handler was initially charged with eight counts, including four counts of official misconduct, one count of theft, one count of cruelty to animals, and two counts of animal owner duties violations. Five of those charges are felonies.
In June, Special Prosecutor Brian Towne moved to dismiss two felony counts—one theft charge and one count of official misconduct—a request that was granted by the court.
The charges stem from a July 2024 incident, when investigators say Cheadle, 30, found his K-9 partner, Kiki, unresponsive. He was arrested following an investigation and resigned from the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department a month later.
Cheadle will return to court for a pretrial hearing on February 19th as the case continues.