Teen sought following shooting

Police are searching for a man accused of an overnight shooting Tuesday.

Russell Keigan Harty, 18, of 100 W. Noah St., Claypool, is wanted by police for shooting two people around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at 2607 Pine Cone Lane, Warsaw, during a drug deal.

Charges filed Tuesday in Kosciusko Superior Court I against him include robbery with a deadly weapon, a Level 3 felony; aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony; criminal recklessness while armed with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony; and attempted theft, a Class A misdemeanor.

Police were dispatched to a report of shots fired, and while responding to the scene were informed a person was being transported to Parkview Hospital with a gunshot wound that entered the back shoulder area and exited through the front of the chest, according to the probable cause affidavit. That person was later identified as Naquan Williams.

A juvenile was shot in the shoulder and was listed in stable condition by Tuesday afternoon.

Police then saw a white passenger car in the area and spoke with the occupants of the vehicle. The four people – three adults and one juvenile – told police they drove from Fort Wayne to meet up with Harty and sell him marijuana. When they arrived, Harty pulled out a handgun and he and Williams told them to empty their pockets and give them the marijuana, according to court papers.

The individuals then took off running when Harty fired three rounds, one of which struck Harty’s friend, who was taken to Parkview by a private vehicle after they ran to 515 Sophie Lane.

The group told police they were going to sell Harty 2 ounces of marijuana.

“Through the investigation, police learned that Williams was an accomplice with Russell Harty in the robbery and was shot by Russell Harty in the confusion,” the probable cause affidavit states.

Officers searched the area of the shooting and found one .45 caliber bullet. Police were informed that at 7:05 a.m. a woman called police and advised Harty had stolen a .45 caliber handgun from his grandfather.

Investigators are searching for Harty, who was already wanted by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office for an active probation violation warrant.

Anyone with information on Harty’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Warsaw Police Department at 574-372-9511 or call 911. At this time, Harty is considered armed and dangerous. This is still an active criminal investigation.

Following Tuesday’s events, Warsaw Community Schools and Tippecanoe Valley Schools announced they were implementing proactive safety measures to ensure student safety, including having indoor recess and increased police presence at the buildings.

Meth charges filed after pursuit

A Columbia City man who led five police agencies on a pursuit through yards at Heritage Lake Estates was charged with dealing meth.

Tyce J. Johnson, 22, Columbia City, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 1:35 a.m. Sept. 26 and arrested for resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, dealing in methamphetamine, possession of a synthetic drug, reckless driving and criminal mischief, according to Warsaw Police Department Public Information Officer Det. Brad Kellar.

At 12:30 a.m. Sept. 26, Johnson was stopped for disregarding a stop sign and failure to use his turn signal, and the officer suspected Johnson may be impaired, according to Kellar. Kellar said the officer requested back-up from Winona Lake police, and when back-up arrived and asked Johnson to step out of his vehicle for further questioning, Johnson fled.

Johnson was driving a gray 2008 Honda Accord and drove the vehicle through multiple yards in the Heritage Lake Estates area, damaging the yards.

Some neighbors witnessed the pursuit, and some neighbors slept through it, but all of the neighbors who spoke with the Times-Union said it’s the talk of the neighborhood. One neighbor, who didn’t give his name, said the car turned down a cul de sac and drove between two houses to get to another section of the neighborhood.

The vehicle eventually found its way back to CR 250E and went east on U.S. 30,?Kellar said. The high speeds along U.S. 30 caused the vehicle’s engine to quit and the suspect came to a stop in the area between Culver’s and CommunityWide Bank.

Kellar said Johnson was taken into custody without further incident and that multiple items of drugs, paraphernalia, THC vape pans, a small amount of heroin and prescription medication not belonging to Johnson were found in the vehicle.

WPD, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, Winona Lake Police Department, Indiana State Police and Pierceton Police Department assisted in the pursuit.

Johnson’s bond in that matter was set at $5,250.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday in Kosciusko Circuit Court, Johnson was pulled over on Winona Avenue Saturday by a Claypool officer for expired tags.

Upon preparing the vehicle for impound, police found a red plastic bag containing a crystal substance, two syringes, $324, two bags containing a brown rock-like substance, several unused plastic bags, one hand-rolled cigarette, vape cartridges containing THC and a plastic bag marked Krush, according to court papers. The contents of the bags tested positive for 27 grams of meth and less than 1 gram of heroin.

Johnson is charged with dealing in methamphetamine, a Level 2 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a Level 4 felony; and possession of a syringe and possession of a narcotic drug, both Level 6 felonies. His bond is $25,250.

Johnson was convicted in February 2017 in Kosciusko Circuit Court for dealing methamphetamine.

Teen jailed after punching friend

A teenager is in jail after allegedly punching his friend in the face resulting in the man’s jaw being wired shut.

Bruce D. Earl III, 19, of 520 N. Park Ave., Warsaw, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 1:44 a.m. Tuesday for battery causing serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed Oct. 1 in Kosciusko Superior Court II, officers with the Warsaw Police Department responded Sept. 19 to a battery victim at Parkview Hospital.

Upon arrival, police found the victim with a bloody mouth, swollen face and his jawline off-center, court papers state. The victim’s jaw was broken in three places, and he told police Earl had unexpectedly punched him in the face during an argument at Earl’s residence.

When police went to the Earl residence, the father told police he heard Earl and the victim arguing and when he went upstairs he saw the victim’s face was bloodied.

The victim told the Times-Union his jaw had to be wired shut and that he has no idea why his best friend punched him in the face.

Earl’s bond was set at $10,250. He’s due in court at 1 p.m. Monday.