An altercation between two brothers led to both being arrested and charged with felonies, according to the Michigan City Police Department.
On the morning of Wednesday, March 1, at around 7:05 a.m., Michigan City police officers were dispatched to the intersection of York and Main Streets regarding an altercation between two brothers. While enroute to the call, one of the brothers reported being shot at by the other. No one was located in or around the intersection.
Police searched the surrounding streets and alleyways with negative results. Attempts to contact the caller via telephone were also unsuccessful.
Just after 7:30 a.m. officers were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of East 11th Street for a disturbance. The responding officers met with Cassius and Antawon Dear at the residence. It was determined that Cassius and Antawon were the brothers involved in the original dispatch to the York and Main intersection which had now carried over to the 11th Street residence.
Through the on-scene investigation, evidence of gunfire was discovered. It was also determined that a vehicle had been struck by gunfire and rendered disabled. The LaPorte County Drug Task Force and the MCPD Investigative Division responded to the residence to assist in the investigation. A search warrant was obtained for the residence and also the disabled vehicle.
During the search of the residence multiple evidentiary items were collected. Some of those items were a 9mm handgun, ammunition, a quantity of suspected narcotics and packaging materials.
Arrest warrants were issued for both brothers. Cassius Dear was charged with one count of dealing in Cocaine or Narcotic Drug as a level 2 felony. Bond was set at $50,000 cash only. Antawon Dear was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon as a level 4 felony and one count of criminal recklessness as a level 6 felony. Bond was set at $20,000 cash only.
The Michigan City Police Department would ask that anyone with information about this case to please contact Sgt. Kyle Shiparski at (219) 874-3221 Ext. 1011 or by email at kshiparski@emichigancity.com. The Michigan City Police Department says it would also like to remind the public that you can contact them via Facebook Messenger, through their crime tip hotline number of (219) 873-1488, or you can also call the WeTip Hotline for General Crime (800) 78-CRIME and possibly receive a reward upon an arrest and conviction. All WeTip call information is sent directly to the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office. Police say you can always request to remain anonymous.