Law enforcement officers typically save citizens from crime - and danger to the public.
But one Indiana State Trooper took his job to a new level: trying to "save the souls" of the motorists he pulled over.
Senior Trooper Brian Hamilton of Connersville was dismissed earlier this week, the Associated Press reports, over two separate incidents of preaching on the job.
In the latest incident, Hamilton questioned fellow Connersville resident Wendy Pyle over whether she went to Church and if she was "saved" during a January traffic stop.
Three months later, Pyle has filed a lawsuit in the Indianapolis branch of the US District Court, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana.
"While all of us — citizen and police officer — enjoy the right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech, there are appropriate and proper restrictions placed on agents of the state related to their actions while engaged in their official duties," Superintendent Doug Carter said in a statement.
In August 2014, Hamilton questioned Huntington resident Ellen Bogan during another traffic stop; Bogan complained that the questions were in violation of his constitutional rights. Hamilton was ordered, in writing, not to discuss religion on duty.