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Man Arrested After Allegedly Firing Gun While Intoxicated

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Man Arrested After Allegedly Firing Gun While IntoxicatedA Leesburg man recently was arrested after allegedly becoming angry and shooting a gun in a driveway.

Emerson Craig Butts Jr., 31, of 104 E. Prairie St., Leesburg, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 8:37 p.m. Dec. 20 and faces charges for intimidation with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony; criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony; and resisting law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday in Kosciusko Superior Court I, at 6:55 p.m. Dec. 20, Kosciusko County Sheriff deputies responded to the residence in reference to an intoxicated man shooting a gun.

When officers arrived on scene, they saw Butts fighting with a female. The female was holding onto Butts while he walked toward police, according to court papers. An officer exited his vehicle and drew his firearm due to the nature of the report.

Police ordered Butts to show his hands, however, Butts continued walking toward the officer, reaching for his waistband and telling the officer “he would have to shoot him,” according to court papers.

The officer was able to observe that Butts did not currently possess a firearm, so he put his weapon away and eventually deployed his taser to apprehend Butts.

After police were able to get Butts into the back of an ambulance for evaluation, they searched the property and located a Kahr .9mm handgun that was loaded and had a live round in the chamber, according to the affidavit.

Officers spoke with family members who were present, who told police they had earlier gone and picked up an intoxicated Butts from Pierceton. When they arrived back at the Leesburg home, Butts became upset that his wife was not home and wanted the keys to the van. Family members would not give him the car key, so Butts went into the house and came back out with the handgun and fired the gun toward the ground in the area between the truck and the van, according to court documents.

Butts’ bond was set at $5,250.