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Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Gary council to look at creating city-wide weapon use regulations
The Gary Common Council will later hear an ordinance that will establish weapon use and discharge regulations in the city. The council's Public Safety committee will first hear the ordinance before the whole body votes. '… it is appropriate and necessary for residents to be safe and secure in their persons and properties,' the ordinance reads, 'and that the unsafe or irresponsible discharge of firearms within the City of Gary poses a significant risk of serious bodily injury, death, or damage to person and property…' Indiana Code prohibits political subdivisions from placing multiple restraints on firearms, including the ownership, possession, carrying, transportation, registration, transfer and storage of the weapons, according to state code. Political subdivisions include governing bodies in cities, towns and counties. No provision specifically prohibits local governing bodies from regulating the firing or discharge of firearms and weapons, according to the Gary ordinance. If passed, the ordinance will make it unlawful for anyone to shoot or discharge guns within the city. Some will have exemptions, including local law enforcement, those with a valid license and acting in self-defense, those with a valid hunting license, and anyone discharging a weapon at a local shooting range or gun club. The ordinance cannot constrict legal possession, purchase or use of firearms in accordance with Indiana law, the state constitution or the U.S. constitution. A first offense will result in a $250 fine, a second will lead to a $500 fine, a third a $750 fine, and a fourth will mean a $1,000 fine. The fifth and any subsequent offenses will result in a $2,500 fine. If passed, all existing Gary code that conflicts with the ordinance will be null and void, according to the ordinance. In 2024, the city saw non-fatal shootings decrease about 10%, going from 147 incidents to 132, according to a previous announcement from the Gary Police Department. The city also had 40 total homicides, falling 23% from 2023 and the lowest number recorded since 2018. 'Through more proactive policing, we've taken a strong stance on crime prevention,' Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon previously said in a statement. 'The improvements we've made are a direct result of our commitment to staying ahead of criminal activity and building relationships with community partners who can help solve more cases.' The Gary Common Council will vote on the weapon use ordinance at a later date. The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. June 17.
Chicago Tribune
28-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Gary Police work with FBI to investigate teenage girl's disappearance, offer $20K for information
For Dalia Guerrero, a new update in the investigation to find her granddaughter gives her hope. 'We're happy that they're doing something and just not doing anything,' Guerrero said. 'We don't want this to be a cold case, by any means.' The Gary Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Monday that the two agencies are working together to find Ja'Niyah McMichael, a 14-year-old girl who has been missing since Aug. 12, 2024. The two agencies are also offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved with McMichael's disappearance. The city of Gary and FBI are both offering $10,000 each. A news release from the two agencies said investigators believe McMichael might be the victim of foul play, and the search remains an active and ongoing investigation. McMichael's 14th birthday was Monday, Guerrero said. 'She should be like any other 14-year-old today,' Guerrero added. 'She should be having a birthday party with her friends and family.' Jasmine McMichael, Ja'Niyah McMichael's mother, first reported her daughter missing from their home in the 1900 block of Malcolm X Drive in Gary. McMichael was seen wearing a black hoodie, black pajamas and red and black Air Jordans. The city of Gary first released an update on McMichael's disappearance on Oct. 5, 2024. In October, the city said it was working with the FBI and Department of Child Services to investigate the case, reported tips and leads, according to the city's website. 'We strongly urge the public to refrain from sharing unvetted information as this can severely impede the ongoing investigation,' Gary's October news release said. 'Our actions to date have been aimed at ensuring compliance with the law and preserving the integrity of the investigation.' The city of Gary has not included another update on McMichael's investigation online since October. In September, Darnell Compton Jr., 31, was charged with starting a brawl during a search party for McMichael, according to Post-Tribune archives. He was charged with three counts of battery, one count of strangulation and three misdemeanors. Darnell has a hearing scheduled for the end of May, according to online court records. Jasmine McMichael said Compton showed up uninvited with several family members and wanted to take their other children with him, according to Post-Tribune archives. Compton fought multiple people, including Jasmine McMichael, her aunt, Dequan Jones, and tried to punch an officer as he was arrested. McMichael was originally reported as a runaway, according to Post-Tribune archives. Guerrero said in January that the family didn't believe that theory. Representatives from the city of Gary did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday, including about why the reward money was now announced. Police Chief Derrick Cannon has continually communicated with Guerrero, she said Monday. 'They're still working on (McMichael's investigation),' Guerrero said. 'We're just missing her and wish someone would speak.' Anyone with information is urged to come forward, according to the release from the FBI and city of Gary. Tips can be anonymously submitted to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at
Chicago Tribune
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Guest column: Lake County prosecutors must drop charges against photojournalist
The Trump administration's assault on press freedom is multifaceted, targeting everything from interview editing to wire services that local papers depend on. But prosecutors in Lake County are inadvertently helping President Donald Trump advance two of his leading anti-press priorities — cracking down on media coverage both of protests and of his mass deportation agenda. On January 18, two days before Trump took office, Gary Police Department officers arrested freelance photojournalist Matthew Kaplan for doing his job — reporting on a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Gary/Chicago International Airport, a regular site for deportation flights. Kaplan was not participating in the protest but merely exercising his constitutional right to document it. According to eyewitness accounts cited in the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, Kaplan was photographing the arrest of a protester when he was himself arrested. Officers knew full well he was a journalist. Before he was taken into custody, he told the Tracker he handed off his camera and equipment to another journalist (who was also threatened with arrest). That was a smart move — police departments that arrest reporters often illegally seize and search their equipment. But it also removed any doubt about who he was and what he was doing at the protest. To state the obvious, protests in general, and particularly those resisting the Trump administration's controversial immigration policies (in anticipation of which the protest was organized) are important news. The press's presence is arguably even more vital at these demonstrations than at the White House spin sessions from which Trump has expelled reporters he doesn't like. Our First Amendment recognizes a right of assembly and a right to report on it, and that right applies to freelance journalists like Kaplan every bit as much as journalists from a newspaper. The right of the Fourth Estate to cover protests does not terminate when police break up the demonstrations, even if protesters break the law. How police respond to protests is just as newsworthy (at least) as the protests themselves. We are, in all likelihood, entering a period of widespread civil unrest — how law enforcement responds will be major news. We've repeatedly seen officers cross the line in responding to protests ranging from Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020 to pro-Palestine activism last spring. This isn't just one press freedom advocate's read of the Constitution — even the Department of Justice agrees. In its report on its investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department's response to unrest over George Floyd's murder, the DOJ explained that 'Blanket enforcement of dispersal orders and curfews against press violates (First Amendment) principle(s) because they foreclose the press from reporting about what happens after the dispersal or curfew is issued, including how police enforce those orders.' The DOJ has since reiterated that guidance. Appellate courts have reached the same conclusion — alleged lawbreaking by protesters, even when it warrants breaking up a demonstration, cannot justify arrests of law-abiding journalists. Nonetheless, it's unfortunately not uncommon for police to arrest journalists covering protests. Of the 360 total arrests and detainments of journalists the Tracker has documented since 2017, 296 occurred during protests. But in most cases, authorities quickly realize prosecuting journalists for doing their job is not a wise use of prosecutorial discretion — or of public funds. Chicago, for example, quickly (although not quickly enough) dropped its cases against journalists arrested during last year's Democratic National Convention. But Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter's office has not done that — 1.5 months after Kaplan's arrest, charges are still pending, and the case is currently scheduled for trial in April. Whether this is a deliberate decision or an oversight by busy prosecutors, it's a big mistake. Cities that arrest and prosecute journalists certainly risk judgment in the court of public opinion from residents who expect officials to respect First Amendment freedoms. But if that's not enough of a deterrent, they also risk liability in courts of law. Police departments from Minneapolis to Portland to New York City have settled legal actions by the DOJ or by journalists themselves challenging arrests of journalists at protests. Those settlements required the departments to commit to no longer arresting reporters just for continuing to cover protests after a dispersal order. They're just a few of the many settlements entered into by police departments that mistreat journalists. Kaplan should be commended, not prosecuted, for exercising his constitutional right to document important news up close rather than relying on the often self-serving spin authorities put out after the fact. Carter should drop the charges against him without delay. Not only would it save taxpayers money, it would send a message that, no matter what's going on at the national level, Lake County still values press freedom and transparency, and will safeguard the public's right to know during these troubled times.
Chicago Tribune
07-02-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Northwest Indiana agencies partner with DNA website to identify human remains
The Gary Police Department announced Friday that it is taking new steps to identify human remains from nearly 25 years ago. The department is collaborating with the Lake County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force and The service provides 'innovative DNA testing techniques' that will aid in the investigation. helps with crowdfunding, data and genomics in cases. The website only works with law enforcement agencies and doesn't offer genealogy or health tools. 'This initiative is a critical step toward providing long-awaited closure for a family who has suffered the loss of a loved one,' said a news release from the police department. The agencies are asking for community help to pay for the testing. The Gary Police Department contributed $500 to a fundraiser, and the groups have a $7,500 goal. People can donate to the fundraiser online. In January 2001, the remains of an unknown individual were found in Gary, according to the police department's news release. The remains were those of a Black man aged 20 to 29 years old with black hair and brown eyes. The man weighed about 157 pounds and was 5 feet 7 inches tall. The man's manner of death was determined to be a homicide, according to the Friday news release. Since he couldn't be identified, the victim became known as Lake County John Doe. Case details were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. In late 2024, the Gary Police Department and Lake County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force teamed with Othram to see if DNA testing could help. Othram, a Texas-based company, helps law enforcement agencies solve homicides. According to Othram's website, only about half of homicides are solved. In 2024, the Lake County Coroner's Office investigated 65 homicides. Gary led the county's homicide numbers, according to information from the coroner's office. Of the county's 65 homicide deaths last year, 24 victims died in Gary.
