Formal charge filed against Garrett shooting suspect

GARRETT — Originally facing multiple preliminary charges, including one of attempted murder, an Avilla man now has been formally charged with a criminal recklessness while armed with a deadly weapon.

Quanah Plowman, 26, of the 500 block of South Main Street, Avilla, is the suspect in a shooting that took place just before 2 a.m. in Garrett on Saturday.

Plowman originally was facing preliminary charges of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony; pointing a loaded firearm, a Level 6 felony; and two counts of criminal mischief, Class B misdemeanors.

On Wednesday, DeKalb County Prosecutor Neal Blythe filed a formal charge of criminal recklessness while armed with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony.

Plowman is accused of recklessly, knowingly or intentionally performing an act that created a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person by firing a handgun, endangering two individuals and any persons in the area.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed in DeKalb Superior Court I by Garrett Police Officer Maynard DePew, Plowman is accused of arriving in the 100 block of East King Street with a loaded firearm, driving past the parking lot behind Martin’s Tavern, and firing a handgun multiple times in the direction of two men. The bullets missed both men but struck and damaged a Dodge Ram owned by one of the men, as well as a Dodge Ram owned by a another person.

DePew said he interviewed one of the men on May 20 and he stated he witnessed Plowman point a firearm at him and then drive off in a small, dark-colored vehicle. Shortly after, he saw Plowman drive past his location for a second time and fire at least four bullets in his direction, the affidavit said.

DePew said the man personally knows Plowman because they both are intimately involved with the same woman. The man also described Plowman’s appearance and well as the vehicle he was driving, DePew added.

The woman told DePew that there has been an ongoing dispute between Plowman and the man since she was involved with both of them, the affidavit said.

She told DePew that threats of violence have been made in the past and that both Plowman and the man have been known to possess firearms, according to the affidavit.

Police also spoke with a person who stated that Plowman had recently been given a semi-automatic handgun and he had been carrying it with him for the past couple of months, based on the ongoing dispute, the affidavit stated.

The man who told police Plowman fired shots in his direction provided a video of Plowman’s vehicle driving past him in the first encounter and a vehicle matching that description was later located a block away from Plowman’s residence in a parking lot, DePew said in the affidavit. The vehicle was bearing an Indiana temporary registration, registered to Plowman, DePew added.

Police reviewed security footage from Tarlton’s in Garrett, which has a view of the street where the incident occurred, validating the suspect’s vehicle drove by Tarlton’s several times during the time frame of the incident, the affidavit said.

The second man who was endangered in the alleged incident told DePew he heard arguing between Plowman and the other man, who was his friend, and heard several “bangs” while he was in his truck.

“I believe these ‘bangs’ would be consistent with the sounds of Quanah’s handgun,” DePew wrote in the affidavit.

The man told DePew that his vehicle was struck by three shots and another truck was struck by a fourth shot.

Police collected the bullets, which were consistent with the caliber used with a handgun, the affidavit said.

Plowman had been held at the DeKalb County Jail since his arrest Saturday. He was released Wednesday for a $500 cash-only bond. A Level 6 felony is punishable by between six months and 2 1/2 years of incarceration.

His next court appearance is a pretrial conference on Tuesday, July 18.