Crime & Public Safety
Allen County sheriff seeks dismissal of corporal after multiple alleged comments about shootings
Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger filed a petition with the county Sheriff Merit Board seeking the termination of Corporal Benjamin Fries for alleged immoral conduct tied to remarks about deadly force. The petition, filed Sept. 28, 2026, lists four separate incidents reported by coworkers and members of the public that Hershberger says demonstrate Fries repeatedly made inappropriate comments about officer-involved shootings and ammunition.
According to the petition, the first alleged incident occurred during an on-duty lunch in August when several officers and a restaurant employee were present; multiple coworkers later told investigators they heard Fries make a comment about not having shot anyone with his new duty weapon “yet.” Six of the ten officers present reported hearing the remark, and Fries reportedly admitted making the comment, characterizing it as “shop talk” during interview but agreeing it was inappropriate to have publicly.
Other counts in the filing describe alleged remarks during a SWAT training conversation in May 2026 about shift assignment and shootings, a 2025 SWAT conference dinner comment about officer-involved shootings, and statements at a department National Night Out event about types of ammunition in front of adults and children. The petition notes prior department history that in December 2024 Fries shot and died an armed man in Huntertown; the Allen County Prosecutor later found that shooting justified.
Hershberger’s petition requests dismissal after a public hearing before the merit board; a hearing date has not been set, and the merit board process remains pending. The allegations are those listed in the sheriff’s filing; the petition distinguishes reported statements and the department’s prior prosecutor finding about the 2024 shooting.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.