A Boone Township man is accused of pointing a gun at two technicians from a NIPSCO contractor because he thought the two Black men looked “sketchy,” according to the police report.
Jeremy Riley, 42, was arrested on a charge of pointing a firearm, a Level 6 felony.
Porter County Sheriff’s Department officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of S. U.S. 231 at 2:57 p.m. Thursday on a report of someone pointing a gun at them.
The two men, who work for NIPSCO contractor Townsend Utility, were sent to the residence to cut down a tree in front of Riley’s residence, and a woman at the house had given them permission to do so, the report stated. The men were driving a company truck with an attached wood chipper. A female co-worker was driving another company truck.
The co-worker told police that both vehicles were in driveway and attempting to turn around to exit when Riley arrived in the driveway. She said that Riley acted extremely irate and cursed at them to get off his property, the report stated. The two men told police that Riley exited his truck and pointed a black handgun at them, which scared them. Riley’s truck blocked their vehicles from exiting the property.
Riley told police that he saw the two Black men near his garage and claimed they “bolted” to their truck. He said that he thought the men were “casing” out his property as he had seen the workers in other driveways, characterizing their actions as “sketchy.”
He said his wife had told him that the men were working on the property, and that she needed to pick up the kids but didn’t want to leave while the workers were cutting down the tree, the report states.
Riley told police that two Black men were walking on his property, stating that he was not racist but said the situation looked sketchy, even though the men had clearly marked, fluorescent yellow work uniforms on and both of their vehicles were marked “Townsend Utility,” according to the police report.
Riley told police that he had a round chambered in the 9 mm Taurus G2C pistol.
In the report, police said Riley was inconsistent in his statements to police as to whether he showed or pointed the pistol.
Police arrested Riley and took him to the Porter County Jail, but he bonded out of jail on Friday, according to court records.
His initial hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. on May 10 before Magistrate Ana Patrician Osan, court records state.
NIPSCO released the following statement about the incident: “NIPSCO is aware of the incident that occurred yesterday at a customer property in Hebron, Indiana involving complainants from its contractor, Townsend. Given the police involvement and ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment further on this pending legal matter.”
