Man Accused Of Shooting Another Man Dead In The Backseat Of A Car
CROWN POINT, Ind. — An Indianapolis man is pleading not guilty to murder.
Ivan Malone is accused of shooting Ervin Pirtle multiple times while riding in a car with two other men during a night of drinking, said the Times of Northwest Indiana.
The incident happened in Gary in June 2019.
The night of the shooting Malone, Pirtle, and the two others shared two water bottles filled with vodka, and each of them drank two beers, said court records.
Witnesses said they were having a good time when they left a fast-food restaurant. Then Malone turned around in the front passenger seat, put his knees on the seat, and shot Pirtle multiple times.
The driver hit a curb while trying to wrestle the gun away from Malone, said another witness. The driver told police he tried to stop Malone and ran off the road. Malone got out of the car, and the driver continued driving to try and get Pirtle to a hospital.
The men flagged down a Gary police officer, and Pirtle was pronounced dead.
Malone refused to speak with the police the night of the murder. One of his family members said he was diagnosed as bipolar and schizophrenic.
