By John Estridge
A Ft. Wayne man accused of breaking into a garage in Liberty early Tuesday morning, November 3, has been charged with Burglary, as a Level 5 Felony.
Christopher A. Clark was arrested that morning at the scene.
According to a Facebook post by the garage’s owner, Michael Alcorn, while taking his dog outside in the early morning hours, he saw a light on in his garage, grabbed his gun and went out to investigate. He said a black man, later identified as Clark, came running out of the garage, and Clark tried to run through Alcorn. Alcorn punched Clark in the head, and they went to the ground. Michael’s wife, Sarah, called police and then went outside to help her husband restrain Clark until police arrived.
An Affidavit for Probable Cause written by Liberty Police Department Officer Lorenzo Shepler describes the situation.
At 4:24 a.m., Shepler and Union County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Eric VanWinkle were dispatched to an address on Lane Street in Liberty concerning a burglary in progress.
When he arrived, he found VanWinkle and Michael Alcorn laying on top of another man near the deck at the rear of the home and a few feet from the entrance to a detached garage. Shepler saw VanWinkle had placed his handcuffs on the man. Shepler told Alcorn to stand up and back away, which he did.
Shepler then searched Clark for weapons and did not find any. Shepler moved the handcuffs so Clark’s hands were handcuffed behind his body and not in front of it, walked him to Shepler’s cruiser and placed Clark in the front seat.
Shepler then asked Clark what happened.
Clark told Shepler Clark got into an argument with his girlfriend. This caused Clark to get mad, and he got out of the car his girlfriend was driving. He took his phone from the car and started walking. During the course of walking, he got lost, turned his phone light on and claims he was walking through the field behind the Alcorns’ house.
He was then approached by Alcorn who was carrying a shotgun and that is when the altercation took place.
According to mycase.in.gov, Clark is 6-4 and weighs 195 pounds.
Shepler asked Clark where he was trying to get to, and Clark replied Ft. Wayne.
At that point, Shepler left Clark in his vehicle and went back to the Alcorns and VanWinkle. They were on the deck near where the altercation took place.
Shepler then asked Michael what happened. Michael said he got up to let the dog out and noticed a shadow near the garage door. Michael let the dog out and then noticed a light come on in the garage. Michael told Sarah someone was in their garage. Michael grabbed a shotgun, which was not loaded. Michael and Sarah both went outside and approached the garage door.
They said when Michael pushed the garage door open, the man came running out, rushing toward Michael and knocking the gun out of Michael’s hands. It was at that point, Michael wrestled Clark to the ground. He held him pinned to the ground until the officers arrived. Shepler said he could see injuries on Michael to his left foot, both knees, forehead and left shoulder.
After hearing their version of what happened, Shepler asked the Alcorns if they wanted to fill out complaint forms, which they both agreed to do. Shepler went to his vehicle to get the complaint forms. While there, he read Clark his Miranda warning. He then asked Clark if he had ever been in the Alcorns’ garage, and Clark said he had not. He said he was attacked for no reason.
Shepler then took the complaint forms to the Alcorns for them to fill out. He asked VanWinkle to take photos of Michael’s injuries and told everyone he was taking Clark to the Union County Jail. Clark was logged into the jail without further incident.
The next morning as Shepler was getting off his shift, he received a phone call from Union County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Franklin. Franklin said he had been contacted by the Alcorns at about 8 a.m. on November 3. Michael had found headgear on the ground near the deck. Also, he discovered things had been moved around in his garage from where he had left them the night before. Those items included: a welder, welding helmet, tire iron and a grey soft shell cooler. Michael had been working on a truck the night of November 2 and had not left those items where he found them on the morning of November 3.
Franklin went to the property, taking photos of the headgear as it was on the ground. He also took photos of the items in the garage as well as the area behind the garage where Clark claimed to be at the time of the incident. The headgear was taken as evidence, and the photos were attached to the affidavit.
An initial hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Monday, November 16, before Union Circuit Court Judge Matthew Cox.
If convicted of a Level 5 Felony, Clark could receive one to six years in prison.