Westfield cop put on leave

A Westfield police officer has been placed on leave while the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department investigates him for the use of excessive force. Officer Andrew Gilreath is accused of hitting 22-year-old Steven M. Smith of Indianapolis in the head with his gun while arresting him for shoplifting at a Westfield Target store on Saturday. Smith  suffered a gash on his head, had to be hospitalized and received seven staples to close the wound. A Westfield Police Department spokesman said Gilreath has been with the department for seven years and never been in trouble before.