An East Chicago man is facing more than a dozen charges, including murder, in the Sept. 12 fatal shooting of another man during a domestic altercation on an East Chicago street.
Austin Williams, 37, is charged with murder, attempted murder, four counts of robbery, auto theft, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, two counts of resisting law enforcement, and several misdemeanor counts, including domestic battery.
Brent Jones, 40, died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to an autopsy conducted by the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
Around 10 p.m., Williams was at Tuna’s Tap with his girlfriend and they started arguing, according to the probable cause affidavit. Once they left the bar, Williams stole her car, then got out and chased her down the street on foot and struck her, causing her to fall. He also fired gunshots in her direction as she got up, records state.
More Top Picks Pool Pump
Police found blood and a yellow hat near the intersection of 138th and Euclid, as well as a gold earring, pink phone case and smashed iPhone belonging to the girlfriend in an adjacent alley, records state.
Surveillance video from a nearby liquor store showed the girlfriend running inside to ask them to call the police. Jones and another man were hanging out at the store when the incident unfolded, the affidavit states.
Jones approached the area to either confront Williams or de-escalate the situation and was shot and killed, according to the affidavit. Williams then fled the scene on foot with the intention of having someone pick him up.
Through several tips and cell phone data obtained via search warrant, police tracked down Williams at a house in Hammond, records state. On Sept. 22, they engaged in a chase through Hammond that ended with Williams crashing into a fence near 72nd Street and East End Avenue in Chicago. He tried to flee on foot but was boxed in, the affidavit states.
Williams has a pending case in Lake County for Level 3 felony burglary, for which he is out on bond, according to the affidavit. He was convicted of Class C Felony battery in 2014, which makes him a serious violent felon under Indiana law, and Class C Felony burglary in 2010.