I have a hard time condemning the man...

[HoughMade]

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local...gn=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

EAST CHICAGO — Gary City Council President Ron Brewer was arrested over the weekend on allegations he tracked down his stolen vehicle Sunday night, fired a gun at two teenagers, and kidnapped and drove one of the teens to Gary.

“We don’t know if these are the kids who stole his car, so for him not to contact us and for him to take the law into his own hand, he can’t do that,” East Chicago Police Lt. Jose Rivera said Monday morning. "Even though the kids may have committed a crime, he doesn’t have the right to take a child in his vehicle and back to Gary."

Brewer is being held at the East Chicago jail on probable cause for criminal recklessness and kidnapping, Rivera said.

Brewer could not be immediately reached Monday morning. Rivera said attorney Scott King stopped by the station Sunday night and said he would be representing Brewer in the case. King could also not be immediately reached for comment.

Brewer filed a police report sometime Sunday night with the Gary Police Department after his vehicle was stolen from a location in Gary, Rivera said. He and his wife then allegedly tracked his vehicle to the 4200 block of Indianapolis Boulevard in East Chicago with “some type of phone app," Rivera said.

“When he found it, there were two teenagers inside the vehicle. He confronted them. We don’t know all the details yet, but he pulled out a gun and shot at them,” Rivera said. The vehicle, found with bullet holes, was impounded, Rivera said. The city’s ShotSpotter technology indicated gunfire went off in the vicinity, he added.

When Brewer allegedly fired off the shots, the teenagers sped off, Rivera said. Brewer returned to the vehicle he drove to East Chicago and allegedly chased them down, he added.

“At some point, the kids bailed, and he caught one of them. Then he put the kid in his own car, and takes the kid to Gary,” Rivera said. He was arrested after the incident by East Chicago police, Rivera said.

Rivera did not immediately know if Brewer was licensed to carry a weapon. He said the department is investigating.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter confirmed he was in contact Monday morning with the East Chicago Police Department about Brewer's case. He said expects to hear back from them as early as Monday about potential charges.

He said while he is waiting on more information from authorities, this appears to be a matter of Brewer allegedly "taking the law into his own hands."

 

[churchmouse]

Man this is a tough one.

 

[Ark]

I understand the lack of faith in law enforcement around those parts, but yeah no part of this is legal.

 

[printcraft]

Juror printcraft would vote to acquit.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Anger leads to the Dark Side, the Dark Side leads to destruction.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Man this is a tough one.

It shouldn't be. He's as much of a criminal as the people who took his car. I find crimes against persons well more egregious than crimes against property. A city councilman should know better. 10 years in the clink would be just about right for him to understand.

 

[Dead Duck]

It shouldn't be. He's as much of a criminal as the people who took his car. I find crimes against persons well more egregious than crimes against property. A city councilman should know better. 10 years in the clink would be just about right for him to understand.

All for the greater good.
I can't begin to list all the laws I broke in CA and IN recovering stolen cars, hit & runs etc... One took me two weeks to get and the only police involvement was giving them the evidence when I was done so they could do their thing. Am I a criminal?
If we don't get involved, then we are just as guilty as the perps.
I'd do it all over again tomorrow.

Good cops won't give a **** about the little things.

 

[churchmouse]

It shouldn't be. He's as much of a criminal as the people who took his car. I find crimes against persons well more egregious than crimes against property. A city councilman should know better. 10 years in the clink would be just about right for him to understand.

Agreed on all points. No argument.
Just have some similar memory's involving a motorcycle.
Will not discuss the outcome but no guns were involved and I got my bike back.

 

[T.Lex]

Having some professional experience up in East Chicago (and Gary, to a lesser extent), I am unsurprised that the political leader believed himself to be above the law.

Frankly, I'd be more sympathetic if it were just a working guy trying to get his vehicle back because without it, he wouldn't be able to work or something.

Under the scenario as reported, I suspect his anger was more along the lines of, "You kids don't know who you're messing with."

 

[printcraft]

Agreed on all points. No argument.
Just have some similar memory's involving a motorcycle.
Will not discuss the outcome but no guns were involved and I got my bike back.

I hope the mopes didn't ever consider doing it again.

 

[churchmouse]

I hope the mopes didn't ever consider doing it again.

Well not to my stuff anyway.

 

[mike trible]

Citizens Arrest?

 

[DRob]

I have some experience with the arrest/prosecution process of car thieves around Indy. Before 2005, the prosecutor's office would not file vehicle theft charges against a person caught in a stolen vehicle 72 hours after the theft was reported. Car thieves learned that lesson quickly and would hide the vehicle for 3 days before they did anything else with it. If they were caught after that, they were charged with possession of stolen property. Been out of the game for 15 years now but it was most certainly NOT a problem with the police but rather with the prosecutor's office. If it wasn't a slam-dunk. they didn't want it.

This guy? I think he's dumber than the kids who stole his car!

 

[HoughMade]

Citizens Arrest?

It's funny you mention that:

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local...cle_9919d339-c00c-5a93-8e1e-524d8b8736cf.html

[h=1]UPDATE: Council president accused of shooting at teens; attorney says it was 'citizen's arrest'[/h]

Scott King, Brewer's attorney, said there is a state statute that permits a citizen's arrest if there is probable cause to believe a felony has been committed.
"So he was under the law," King said. "He was justified in placing this person in custody."

 

[HoughMade]

To anticipate the next question:

(a) Any person may arrest any other person if:

(1) the other person committed a felony in his presence;
(2) a felony has been committed and he has probable cause to believe that the other person has committed that felony; or
(3) a misdemeanor involving a breach of peace is being committed in his presence and the arrest is necessary to prevent the continuance of the breach of peace.

(b) A person making an arrest under this section shall, as soon as practical, notify a law enforcement officer and deliver custody of the person arrested to a law enforcement officer.

(c) The law enforcement officer may process the arrested person as if the officer had arrested him. The officer who receives or processes a person arrested by another under this section is not liable for false arrest or false imprisonment.

Ind. Code Ann. § 35-33-1-4.

 

[LCSOSgt11]

Another over-entitled soon-to-be former politician that forgot to call the police and let them handle the situation as they should. Of course, just another politician arrested in the "Region."

 

[Trigger Time]

Juror printcraft would vote to acquit.

Yep.
I think vigilante justice is ok in some cases. I dont care if the law disagrees. I have the right to my opinion and i have the right to serve on a jury too.

If someone hurts my babies, i will most likely hunt them down and choke the life out of them with my bare hands, many times among other things. I dont care what the law does to me after that.
If i ever choose to break the law, i accept my verdict from a jury

 

[BigRed]

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local...gn=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Jury nullification for the win!

 

[Kutnupe14]

Yep.
I think vigilante justice is ok in some cases. I dont care if the law disagrees. I have the right to my opinion and i have the right to serve on a jury too.

If someone hurts my babies, i will most likely hunt them down and choke the life out of them with my bare hands, many times among other things. I dont care what the law does to me after that.
If i ever choose to break the law, i accept my verdict from a jury

As would I. Like I mentioned there's a different between crimes against people and those against property. I'm not going to try and kill or kidnap someone over something that has been stolen from me. Hurt my family, and I'll think of the most diabolical ways to exact justice, and when sitting in court and asked if I did it, I would say "gladly so."

 

[Joniki]

Citizens Arrest?

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