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$1 million bond set for alleged shooter
GREENCASTLE -- Bond has been set at $1 million for a Greencastle man accused of shooting at a Putnam County Sheriff's Department Reserve deputy.
Justin L. Hargrove, 24, was formally charged in Putnam County Circuit Court Thursday with Class A felony attempted murder and Class D felonies resisting law enforcement, receiving stolen property and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.
On the recommendation of Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter, Judge Matthew Headley set Hargrove's bond at $1 million.
According to court documents, Hargrove intentionally shot at Putnam County Sheriff's Department Reserve Deputy Matthew Biggs with a rifle early Tuesday after Biggs stopped a vehicle in which Hargrove was a passenger.
Hargrove pled not guilty to all counts. He requested and was granted pauper counsel. He told Headley he didn't have a job and "couldn't remember" the last time he had worked. He admitted that he had served prison time in 2005 for a possession of a controlled substance charges and again in 2006 for a possession of marijuana charge.
Headley assigned Sidney Tongret to Hargrove's case and set a pretrial conference for May 27.
Hargrove and three other people, Lacey Ann Couch, 23, of Greencastle, Keven Dale Crowe, 18, of Coatesville and Michael Scott Pryor, 18, of Coatesville were allegedly riding in Couch's vehicle in the early morning hours Tuesday and randomly firing guns from the car's windows.
Couch, Crowe and Pryor were all charged with Class C felony assisting a criminal for hiding firearms from the police once the investigation had begun, Class D felony receiving stolen property because the rifle Hargrove allegedly used to shoot at Biggs and five handguns in the vehicle had been reported stolen from a northern Putnam County residence and Class D felony criminal recklessness for allegedly shooting guns from the windows of a moving car.
Couch was also charged with Class D felony resisting law enforcement for allegedly being the driver of the vehicle and with Class D felony neglect of a dependent for "placing (a minor child) in a situation that endangered their health or safety," court documents said.
Couch, Crowe and Pryor all pled not guilty to all charges.
Public defender Todd Sallee was assigned to Couch's case, and her bond was set at $20,000 with 10 percent allowed; public defender Melinda Jackman-Hanlin was assigned to Pryor's case and his bond was set at $20,000 cash; and Crowe said his parents would be hiring counsel for him and his bond was set at $20,000 cash. All three will be in court May 27 for pretrial conferences.
An initial "shots fired" call from the area of Columbia and West Walnut streets came in to Putnam County Dispatch at about 1:41 a.m. Tuesday. Several more calls followed, reporting shots fired near Rockville Road, Washington and Madison streets.
At 1:49 a.m., dispatch received a call from an individual in the area of Washington and Madison streets that said they had heard four to six shots fired and had seen a green vehicle leave the area at a high rate of speed.
At about 2:06 a.m., Biggs saw a vehicle matching the description of the shooter's vehicle at the intersection of Bloomington and Washington streets. Biggs began driving behind the vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop at the intersection of Franklin and Durham streets.
Biggs told authorities that Hargrove fired two or three rounds in Biggs' direction. Biggs was not injured, but one of the rounds struck his police vehicle.
After Hargrove allegedly shot at Biggs, a vehicle pursuit ensued eastbound on Franklin Street and then north on Arlington Street. Biggs lost sight of the vehicle, but at the intersection of Cameron and Arlington streets he observed what he believed to be the same suspect that had fired at his vehicle running on foot. Biggs chased the Hargrove on foot for a short distance before losing sight of him.
All four defendants were ordered to have no contact with one another.