DALEVILLE, Ind. — A Daleville man is facing an attempted murder charge because police say he fired a handgun toward law enforcement officers during standoff at his home that lasted several hours earlier this month.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed Monday in Delaware County, deputies were initially called to 8414 Lynn St. in Daleville on Aug. 9 after a concerned individual reported receiving a text message from Nathan Carter, 54, saying he was going to hurt himself.
Deputies had responded to the home about an hour and 15 minutes earlier, the affidavit states. They say Carter refused to come outside peacefully and denied having thoughts of self-harm. He also asked deputies to leave.
After officers left, a witness reported hearing a gunshot at about 7:17 p.m. Deputies returned to the residence and found that a bullet had gone through the front window.
Several Delaware County Sheriff’s Office deputies and an Indiana Department of Natural Resources officer responded to the scene. Officers used their vehicles as cover while a negotiator attempted to persuade Carter to leave the home.
The negotiator spoke with Carter by phone for nearly two hours, according to the affidavit.
At approximately 9:08 p.m., police say Carter began firing a gun through the front window of the residence while he was still on the phone with the negotiator.
Investigators later believed Carter had fired a .45-caliber handgun toward officers and their vehicles. Multiple officers returned fire, according to the affidavit.
The Delaware County SWAT team, which had been standing by, responded and used chemical munitions and other tactics in an effort to get Carter to leave the residence.
Police say Carter refused to comply and repeatedly demanded that deputies “kill me.”
Carter was taken into custody at approximately 4:39 a.m. Aug. 10 and transported to the Delaware County Jail.
During an interview with Indiana State Police and a detective, Carter reportedly said he did not remember firing the shots at law enforcement.
Investigators later obtained a search warrant for the residence and found approximately spent .45-caliber shell casings in the front room, according to the affidavit. Multiple firearms were also recovered from the garage, including a Taurus .45-caliber handgun that investigators believe was used to fire at officers.
Police also found bullet damage at a residence across the street, including damage to a parked truck in a driveway behind the area where deputies had been positioned.
Carter is charged with attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and resisting law enforcement.
