LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A former Kentucky State Police trooper has pleaded not guilty to perjury after he was accused of hitting a man with a flashlight while arresting him last April.
Thomas Czartorski was arraigned Friday morning. The perjury charge was filed after video surfaced that contradicted statements he made in a deposition when asked about his actions during the arrest.
According to court records, Trooper Thomas Czartorski entered a Shepherdsville home on April 9, 2020, to arrest Alex Hornback, who was wanted by the Louisville Metro Police Department's Domestic Violence Unit for a harassment case.
Video from the family's security system appears to show Czartorski hitting Hornback several times with a flashlight during the arrest. Czartorski answered questions under oath about the case during a deposition on Jan. 18, 2021.
"When he was taken to the ground, did you use any force on him?" Attorney Chris Wiest asked.
The attorney then asks, "Did you ever strike him with any object?"
"No," Czartorski responds.
Hornback's father tried to record the officers' actions, according to Weist.
"They threatened Dad," Wiest said. "Dad ended up deleting the cell phone video as a consequence of them threatening him."
The family's hidden security camera captured the incident, but Czartorski did not know that footage existed when he gave his sworn statement. Weeks after the deposition, Hornback's attorney released the video on social media.
Records show Czartorski had two other use of force complaints days before Hornback's arrest.
Czartorski is no longer with the Kentucky State Police, and his KSP-appointed counsel has since resigned from the case.
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