Dennis Birts
Darwin Van, Jr.
Efforts to respond to a recent rise in gun violence in Michigan City paid off earlier this week, Michigan City Police Department has announced.
The La Porte County Drug Task Force (LCDTF), a federally-funded program through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative, has been conducting Violent Crime Reduction (VCR) patrols.
On Monday, Aug. 31 at around 9 p.m. Corp.Willie Henderson and Deputy Jim Fish were working VCR in the Eastport Neighborhood when they observed a vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign at N. Carroll Avenue and Monroe Street. The driver of this vehicle was then observed crossing the solid yellow center line on N. Carroll Avenue near Rose Street.
Following these infractions, Henderson contacted La Porte County Sheriff’s Office K9 Deputy Jon Samuelson for assistance. Samuelson conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, which was occupied by two subjects. Police said the vehicle began to slowly stop near Springland Avenue and N. Carroll Avenue. Prior to the vehicle coming to a complete stop, “the passenger side door began to open, and a leg came out of the vehicle,” police said. “Samuelson advised over his PA system that if anyone ran, he would release his K9, at which time the leg entered the vehicle and the passenger door shut.”
The vehicle came to a stop and the occupants of the vehicle were removed; they were identified as Darwin Van, Jr., 35, the driver, and Dennis Birts, 28, the passenger. Both men are from Michigan City.
While the two were detained, police said Samuelson ran his K9 partner Bosco around the vehicle, at which time Bosco alerted to the presence of illegal drugs. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed suspected synthetic marijuana and a .38 caliber revolver.
Van, Jr. and Birts were both placed under arrest and transported to the police station for processing.
On Wednesday Sept. 2, formal charges were filed. Van, Jr. was charged with Serious Violent Felon in Possession of a Firearm as a Level 4-Felony and Birts was charged with Carrying a Handgun without a License Level 5-Felony. They are currently being held without bond at the La Porte County Jail. Their initial court appearance is set for Sept. 8 in La Porte County Superior Court 1.
Chief Dion Campbell said in a prepared statement that he would like to assure the public that his department “is going to take any and all necessary steps to curb the outbreak in violence in Michigan City. Regular VCR patrols such as those conducted by our drug task force will be scheduled and we will fight to keep the peace in our city. Our HIDTA-funded drug task force has seized close to 50 illegal possessed firearms this year alone. We realize that we have an uphill battle, but we are prepared to address these issues for the safety of our community and its citizens.”