Norris City trio involved

ANDREW WALTERS

SALINE CO.— A Norris City man was taken into custody on a felony charge after police say he shot out the window of his friend’s car while seated in the front passenger seat.

The incident began August 13 at approximately 10:18 p.m. when Harrisburg officer Nick Keltner received a call from central dispatch that a male subject reported that his friend shot out the window of his car in the Wooded Hills parking lot.

Upon arrival, Keltner spoke with the caller/owner of the car, identified as Malachi Levi Givens, 25, of Norris City, as well as his friend and witness identified as Christian A. Fegan, 25, also of Norris City.

Illinois State Trooper Brett Lane arrived on scene to assist and the officers were shown a white Dodge Charger with the front windshield destroyed.

Officers also found an empty shell casing in the back seat floorboard of the Charger.

Givens and Fegan told the officers that their friend, identified as 26-year-old Andrew Seth Walters, of 65 Co. Rd. 300, Norris City, was angry over an argument that took place in the vehicle and when they arrived at Wooded Hills, located at 218 East Poplar St., Harrisburg, he pulled out a handgun and fired it, shattering the front windshield.

Givens said once Walters fired the shot, he got out of the car and walked away.

He did point out that at no time did Walters point the handgun at either him or Fegan.

At about that time, deputy Tom Leverett and HPD officer Curt Hustedde arrived on scene.

It was also at about that time when Keltner realized that both Fegan and Givens were intoxicated.

Givens indicated that he did not want to press charges over the destroyed window.

Shortly thereafter dispatch advised Keltner they were on the phone with Walters, who said he was at the First Baptist Church and wanted to “give himself up.”

When trooper Lane and officer Keltner arrived at the church, they found Walters on the phone with dispatch and when he saw them, he raised his left hand.

Walters then told Lane that he was removing the handgun and laying it on the ground, after which he was immediately placed in handcuffs and arrested on a charge of Reckless Discharge of a Firearm, which was identified as a Smith & Wesson Shield M&P .40 caliber.

While Walters has no criminal record and Fegan has an Unlawful Transportation of Alcohol conviction, Mr. Givens is a convicted drug felon out of White County having been found guilty November 1, 2010 on one count of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (prescription medication) for which he was sentenced to jail for 30 months, probation for two years and ordered to pay $1,904 in fines and fees.

A charge of Driving Under the Influence of Drugs was dismissed against Givens February 23, 2012.

No bond information was available in the case.