Gary City Councilman Ron Brewer
Gary City Council's Brewer may face charges for shooting at car thieves
Contributed By:The 411 News
Attorney says he was acting legally, making a citizen’s arrest
In a statement Monday afternoon, Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said she was thankful no one was injured when her city council president fired shots at teens he confronted for theft of his auto.
Gary City Councilman-At Large Ron Brewer was behind bars Monday evening following his arrest by the East Chicago Police Dept. Sunday night said his attorney, Scott King. Brewer will remain jailed until there is a determination of probable cause. King said he is waiting to hear from the Lake County Prosecutor.
The NWI Times reported Brewer filed a police report sometime Sunday night with the Gary Police Department after his vehicle was stolen from a location in Gary.
With his wife in a second car that had a GPS tracker, Brewer located the stolen vehicle; it was in East Chicago.
According to a Post Tribune report, “East Chicago Police Deputy Chief Jose Rivera said Monday that the incident started around 7:15 p.m. Sunday, when officers responded to a call of a stolen vehicle in the area of 145th Street and Indianapolis Boulevard. Dispatch informed the police that Gary Councilman Ronald Brewer Jr., D-At large, and his wife, Nicole Mabon-Brewer, were pursuing their car, which had been stolen, and following it in their Infiniti SUV via a GPS system, Rivera said.
“The Brewers started chasing the vehicle, which contained at least two juveniles, around the city and at some point, someone in the Lexus allegedly fired shots at them around 145th Street and Indianapolis Boulevard, Rivera said. Brewer allegedly shot back at the Lexus, Rivera said.
“Dispatch then advised officers searching the area that the Lexus and the Brewers were eight or nine blocks away from the original call, in the 5600 block of Indianapolis Boulevard, where Brewer is said to have pinned the Lexus so it couldn’t get away, Rivera said. The juveniles in the car attempted to flee when Brewer caught one of them, a 14-year-old, Rivera said.”
Atty. King said Brewer then drove his car and the teenager to Gary. Brewer called Gary Police to meet him.
“I think the way it has been handled is overkill by the police. Brewer was acting legally,” King said. “Under Indiana law, anyone seeing a crime committed can make a citizen’s arrest.”
Rivera said, “A citizen’s arrest is one thing, but actively pursuing juveniles in a stolen vehicle in your personal vehicle and then taking custody of a juvenile and personally transporting him to another city is reckless and dangerous to those involved and to the general public.”
East Chicago Police notified the Gary Police Department before taking Brewer into custody at his home around 8 p.m. Sunday.
Mayor Freeman-Wilson added, “We look forward to a full investigation of the case involving Councilman Brewer and I encourage the community to reserve any conclusions until the investigation is complete.”
Story Posted:09/24/2019
|
