Docs: Hendricks Co. man shot gas station employee’s car with pellet gun following dispute

HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. — Police have arrested a North Salem man allegedly involved in a shots fired incident following an argument over an outstanding balance he owed at a local gas station, which he had not paid for months.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Hendricks County on Sept. 12, deputies with the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office were called to a Sunoco Gas Station located at 3 Main Street in response to a reported disturbance.

Initial shots fired investigation

The caller told deputies that a man he identified as Charles Small had left the area, heading northbound in a brown Chevrolet. As deputies arrived to investigate, they came across a white Honda SUV that was parked on the far north end of the parking lot. A small hole was observed in the front passenger side window. Shattered glass was also observed on both the front and rear seats.

However, deputies found no shell casings or evidence of other damage at nearby businesses or vehicles.

A deputy then met and spoke with the caller, who was an employee at the gas station. He explained that Small was a “regular” at the gas station and that he permitted Small to access an outstanding balance at the gas station “as long as he paid the balance every Friday.”

He advised, however, that Small had recently not been paying the amount he owed. The caller added that he told Small around three months prior that he could no longer buy items at the gas station until he paid his outstanding balance. The employee showed deputies a stack of receipts totalling at least $399, court documents said.

The incident reported occurred when Small entered the gas station on Thursday morning and attempted to purchase some items. When the employee prevented him from doing so, court documents detail how Small began yelling and threatening the employee. Small then entered his vehicle and left the area. He returned a short time later and parked on the west side of the parking lot.

Court documents show that detectives sifted through surveillance footage recorded at the gas station and interviews with witnesses, all of which appeared to corroborate the victim’s account.

Further investigation revealed that the caller claimed Small had called him racial slurs before telling him to step outside. The employee recalled telling Small that if he wanted to “do something”, to do it inside the gas station so surveillance cameras could record the altercation.

A different customer then entered the gas station and told the employee that Small was “yelling inside his vehicle and that he possibly had a firearm.”

The employee told deputies that he had heard what he believed to be multiple “gunshots” erupt outside in the parking lot. Small then reportedly drove away from the scene until he was spotted a short time later parked on Pearl Street directly in front of the business. Small then reportedly brought his vehicle to a halt in the middle of the roadway before the employee heard more “gunshots.”

An alert was then communicated to multiple law enforcement agencies to help locate Small.

Traffic stop leads to OWI arrest, other charges

An officer with the Brownsburg Police Department identified Small’s vehicle traveling east on I-74 near SR 267. As the officer began to follow Small’s vehicle, it reportedly exited onto SR 267 and continued heading northbound.

The officer eventually stopped the vehicle at a Circle K on N. Green Street and detained Small. After he was placed into handcuffs, officers reported finding a “black rifle” in the front passenger seat.

As the officer began to speak with Small, he reportedly detected an alcoholic odor. The officer recalled that Small appeared to be “unsteady on his feet” and displayed “red/bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.”

The officer then had Small perform a standardized field sobriety test. Small later agreed to take a portable breath test (PBT). The test revealed his BrAC was .238. Small was then placed into the officer’s patrol vehicle and consented to take a chemical test.

Court documents show that Small reportedly disclosed that he had consumed a “couple drinks” before he got behind the wheel. He was then transported to the Hendricks County Jail, where he agreed to take a certified breath test. Small returned a .186 BrAC afterwards.

Deputies later noted that the weapon Small used to open fire at the employee’s vehicle was likely a “high-powered pellet gun.”

Small was placed under arrest and transported to the Hendricks County Jail, where he faces the following preliminary charges:

• Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon (Level 6 Felony)
• Intimidation (Level 5 Felony)
• Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person (Class A Misdemeanor)
• Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .08 or More (Level 6 Felony)

Online court records show that Small appeared in Hendricks Superior Court 4 on Friday for his initial hearing in the case.