Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson announced today that the office is seeking the termination of Deputy Evan Luigs following his arrest on February 8, 2026, for Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated. That marks the second alcohol-related incident involving the deputy in just over one year.
Deputies and Indiana State Police responded to a two-vehicle collision at approximately 11:37 a.m. on Saturday, February 8, 2026, near N. U.S. 41 and Ruffian Way.
Upon arrival, officers detected signs of intoxication from Luigs, who was off-duty at the time of the accident.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by a sergeant with the Sheriff’s Office, Luigs exhibited multiple indicators of impairment, including a strong odor of alcoholic beverages, bloodshot and glossy eyes, slurred speech, and abnormal behavior. Luigs refused to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests at the scene and declined chemical testing both at the accident site and again at the Vanderburgh County Jail.
Luigs has been charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated, Refusal to Submit to a Breath Test, and Failure to Yield Right of Way. The investigation determined that neither driver sustained injuries in the collision.
This arrest comes just over one year after Luigs received a 15-day suspension in 2024 involving two separate alcohol-related policy violations. The first occurred after an at-fault on-duty crash that resulted in bodily injury to another party, when Luigs was found to have a detectable blood alcohol content.
The second violation occurred when he subsequently reported to work with a detectable breath alcohol content. Although the alcohol levels detected in both 2024 incidents were well below the legal threshold for impairment, Sheriff’s Office policy prohibits any detectable alcohol while personnel are on duty.
Effective February 11, 2026, Luigs will be suspended for 15 work days without pay. Sheriff Robinson will file written charges with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Merit Board seeking Luigs’ termination at a public hearing.
In a personnel order issued February 8, 2026, Sheriff Robinson stated: “This pattern of conduct presents a serious risk to the public and your fellow deputies, has caused your supervisors and commanders to lose all confidence in your ability to perform your duties, and has subjected the Sheriff’s Office to public embarrassment.”
The charges cite violations of the office’s Standards of Conduct policies regarding unlawful conduct, conduct unbecoming, and unsatisfactory performance.
“The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office is committed to transparency and accountability. No employee is above the law. We hold our personnel to the highest standards of conduct both on and off duty. After Deputy Luigs’ previous discipline in 2024, we gave him an opportunity to correct his conduct and continue serving. It is deeply disappointing that he has been arrested for OWI just over a year later, leaving me with no alternative but to seek his termination.”
Presumption of Innocence Notice: The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.