A man was arrested for Sunday’s fatal shooting in Michigan City, the Michigan City Police Department announced.
On Sunday just after 2:30 a.m., the county dispatch center received multiple calls indicating that gunshots were being fired outside of Matey’s Bar and fighting was taking place inside and outside the bar. Multiple units responded to the scene and were assisted by officers from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Department, Long Beach Police Department and Trail Creek Police Department.
The first responding units located 25-year-old Dante Sellers of La Porte at a parking lot entrance across the street from the bar. Sellers had suffered a gunshot wound and the Officers immediately began life saving measures. Sellers was transported, by EMS, to Franciscan Hospital for medical treatment. From there, he was transferred to the University of Chicago Hospital for advanced care. Sellers died from his injuries.
According to police, the initial investigation revealed that Sellers had become involved in an argument while at the bar. As he was walking to his vehicle, which was parked across the street, gunshots rang out and Sellers was shot. The Investigative Division was contacted for assistance and took over the investigation. This case was assigned to Det./Sgt. Lendell Hood. Det./Sgt. Hood, the Investigative Division and the LaPorte County Drug Task Force worked non-stop collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. Their combined efforts resulted in 27-year-old Michigan City resident Cevin Crawford being identified as the suspect.
On Tuesday night, Crawford was spotted inside a vehicle, by members of the La Porte County Drug Task Force, at a gas station on the south end of town. This vehicle was followed, and a traffic stop was conducted near the intersection of Crestwood/Glencove where Crawford was arrested on probable cause for murder. Assisting at the traffic stop was the Fugitive Apprehension Street Team (FAST), Crime Suppression Unit and Uniform Patrol Shift III.
The case was presented to LaPorte County Prosecutor, Sean Fagan, and Deputy Prosecutor Sarah Konieczny for review. Upon completion of their review, this matter was presented to the Honorable Superior Court #4 Magistrate, John Link. Magistrate Link determined probable cause existed to formally charge Cevin Crawford with one count of murder. This investigation is still ongoing and additional criminal charges are expected for Crawford, police said.
The Michigan City Police Department would ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident, has additional information, or has video surveillance / cell phone video of this incident, to contact Det./Sgt. Lendell Hood at (219) 874-3221; Extension 1074 or via email at lhood@emichigancity.com. MCPD 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.