(La Porte, IN) - A suspect in the shooting of a man with a shotgun at a La Porte gas station is requesting a bond reduction. Charles Turner, 35, asked for a lower bond during his initial hearing Friday in La Porte Circuit Court.

 

Judge Tom Alevizos ordered an investigation into his background to help decide whether to grant or deny the request during a hearing on April 8.

 

Turner, of 504 Maple Ave. in La Porte, is charged with Level 3 felony Aggravated Battery; Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, and other counts like Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Cocaine.

 

According to court documents, Turner saw the victim during the afternoon on March 21 inside a vehicle and followed the car to the Conoco station at 104 East Lincolnway.

 

Turner told police he believed the man stole $600 from inside his home and approached the vehicle with a shotgun. After busting out a window on the vehicle with the butt of the gun, police said Turner, during the confrontation, shot the man in the foot.

 

Police said the heavily limping victim, identified as Melvin Dowdell, followed Turner across the street to the parking lot of The Pantry and, during a scuffle, tried stabbing Turner with a knife.

 

According to court documents, Turner was given a knife by bystanders, and all of them chased the shooting victim on foot down Tipton Street. Turner was captured on surveillance video tossing something later identified as methamphetamine and cocaine into a trash can. Turner was also eating marijuana to try and conceal the evidence.

 

Other charges filed against Turner include intimidation for allegedly threatening harm to a police officer. A standard preliminary plea of not guilty was entered for Turner by the court.

 

A jury trial in the case was scheduled for early March of 2023.