Aug. 2—8/2/24 – An Indianapolis couple connected to a July 3 interstate shooting in Whitestown were formally charged Tuesday, one of them with attempted murder.
Each is being held in the Boone County Jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bond.
Kendra Johnson-Brown, 44, drove a car that pulled up alongside a semi-tractor July 3, according to a probable cause affidavit. The semi was in the far right lane of Interstate 65 in Whitestown, and Brown’s car was in the lane to its immediate left with James O. Brown, 44, riding in the passenger side, according to court records.
A witness told police the victim honked at the Browns after their car drove unsafely, and Brown shot the man from the car’s open window, shattering the truck window, according to the affidavit.
Semi driver Nathan Justus was shot in the head and taken to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, police reported. Authorities said Justus is from out of state but declined to name the state. The truck had a Wisconsin license plate, according to court records.
Police interviewed witnesses and sought video recorded at area businesses that day. They used license plate reader technology and connected the car to a pawn shop Johnson-Brown visited with the couple’s son about an hour before the shooting, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Police also used technology to track Brown to a U.S. Postal Service facility on S. High School Road in Indianapolis, where he worked, and where they arrested him, according to court records. Read more at The Lebanon Reporter.
From Fox 59:
Police arrested Brown on the following charges:
- Attempted murder, a Level 1 Felony
- Aggravated battery, a Level 3 Felony
- Criminal recklessness, a Level 5 Felony
- Pointing a firearm, a Level 6 Felony
Johnson-Brown was arrested for the following:
- Aggravated battery, a Level 3 Felony
- Criminal recklessness, a Level 6 Felony
- Reckless driving, a Class B Misdemeanor
According to court documents, the truck driver that Brown allegedly shot was covered in blood when police found him. The round Brown allegedly fired struck the driver on the left side of his head.
Medics ultimately confirmed the truck driver suffered a traumatic brain injury during the incident. Court records indicate the driver is non-verbal and fully paralyzed on his right side because of the shooting.
The most serious of the charges Brown and Johnson-Brown face are attempted murder — a Level 1 Felony — and aggravated battery, a Level 3 Felony, respectively.
Individuals convicted of a Level 1 Felony in Indiana could receive a 40-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000. The maximum penalty for a Level 3 Felony in the Hoosier State is a 16-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.
According to Indiana’s public court reporting system, Brown’s jury trial is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. Johnson-Brown’s jury trial has been scheduled for the same date and time.