By Joanna Putman
Police1
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The widow of Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office Recruit Asson Hacker has filed a lawsuit against the City of Evansville, its police department and the Southwestern Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (SWILEA), alleging that dangerous training practices led to her husband’s death, the Courier & Press reported.
Hacker, 33, died on March 2, 2023, after participating in what the Evansville Police Department described as “routine physical tactics” training, according to the report. The lawsuit, filed by Hacker’s wife, Kourtney Hacker, claims that the training event known as “The Big Fight” put Hacker in unnecessary danger.
The suit describes “The Big Fight” as a series of physical confrontations between cadets and experienced officers, which took place at a local martial arts center. The complaint alleges that Hacker was required to fight Major Michael Fisher of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, who had significantly more fighting experience. The suit claims that Fisher “choked, hit and body-slammed” Hacker during the fight.
“The ‘Big Fight’ was not a legitimate training exercise but rather a state-sponsored hazing event that created an obviously dangerous situation,” the complaint states.
The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office determined Hacker’s death was due to exertional sickling related to sickle cell trait, according to the report. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office implemented new screening protocols for cadets following the incident.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages. None of the defendants have formally responded to the suit as of Sept. 9, according to the report.