Man shoots himself with handgun
A 19-year-old man carrying a 9mm handgun in his pocket shot himself when the gun accidentally discharged Monday, according to Bloomington police.
Police responded to the 400 block of E. Varsity Lane at approximately 3:26 p.m. on a weapons call, and a report that a man had been shot in the leg. At first, according to police, the man said he’d been shot near some mailboxes, but as police investigated, they determined the trajectory of the gunshot to be toward the ground.
The bullet entered the front inside of the man’s right thigh and exited from the back of his thigh. Nobody else was injured.
During the investigation, it was admitted that the man had been carrying a 9mm Walther PPQ in his pocket while walking outside when the gun discharged. The man told police he had the gun for personal protection but said he wasn’t sure how the loaded gun was triggered, but that he doesn’t know much about guns. He told police he’d applied for a concealed gun permit but hadn’t received it yet. It’s illegal to carry a concealed gun without a permit. Many handguns don’t have a safety, and if a round is in the chamber, and the trigger is pulled, the gun will fire.
The gun had been taken to a friend’s apartment to be hidden but was then turned over to police.
Police put a tourniquet on the man’s leg until emergency services workers arrived to assist the man who was then taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital.
The man was not charged with a crime.
Woman assaulted by roommate at Diplomat Apartments
A woman reported her roommate physically assaulted her after a verbal argument Monday.
Police responded to the Diplomat Apartments in the 2500 block of 2nd Street after a woman reported she’d been assaulted. The woman met police at the nearby Citgo gas station and said she was sleeping, and her roommate was talking loudly on the phone. When she requested the roommate talk more quietly, an argument began, and the roommate grabbed her throat and pushed her against a door.
Alleged drug dealer stabbed during robbery
A 19-year-old man was stabbed repeatedly early Tuesday, October 26 around 3:55 a.m. during an apparent robbery during a drug deal gone bad, according The Bloomington Police Department.
A friend drove the man to meet a 17-year-old woman, and sell her methamphetamines, and when he arrived, the vehicle was surrounded by a group of people who came out of the dark, according to the police.
While the woman was taking items from the car, at least two men battered the alleged dealer, and one stabbed him several times. Police were able to determine from text messages that the two groups had met for a drug deal.
Most of the wounds to the dealer were superficial, but one wound was serious enough that the driver took the man to IU Health Bloomington Hospital for treatment.
Police were able to find and arrest the 17-year-old woman, who robbed the man, and also a 19-year-old man from Bedford who helped assault him, however another suspect, also 19-years-old, has not been arrested yet.
Police said the small group that attacked the dealer was larger than three people, and more arrests may come if they can determine the identities of the attackers. The two currently under arrest are facing charges of robbery, a level 3 felony, and battery, an A misdemeanor. The suspect who used the knife will also face robbery charges, but also an aggravated battery charge (level 3 felony) for stabbing the victim.
The woman, who is a juvenile, may be tried as an adult, according the BPD.
Police said drug dealers are robbed more often than reported but since dealing is also a crime police aren’t called. Robberies for drug dealers are only reported when somebody is seriously injured. Many with substance abuse disorders come to Bloomington to score drugs, according to the BPD, and drug use in and around the Bloomington community is widespread.
The police noted the 17-year-old woman was already showing the adverse health effects of using meth, and had sores on her body.
Car stolen from pizza delivery driver recovered
Police said the 2013 Dodge Dart stolen from a Pizza X driver Friday night was recovered in the parking lot of the Hilltop Apartments Sunday afternoon. The car was undamaged, but the keys were missing.
A friend of the pizza delivery driver saw the car in the parking lot. Police were able to take some DNA swabs from the car to try to identify the car thief should they be arrested later.
