TIPTON, Ind. – Indiana deputies say a man’s pocket knife stopped a would-be carjacker’s bullet Wednesday morning.
The 25-year-old suspect, Javier Thurman, of Chicago, is in custody after police say he tried to steal several cars and shot at drivers.
Just before 7 a.m., Tipton County deputies were called to Love’s Travel Stop on U.S. 31 on a report of shots fired.
Deputies say a man was at the stop getting gas, and he walked into the store. While inside, he noticed the lights on his car start to flash. When he approached his car, he noticed someone was inside.
For unknown reasons, the suspect could not get the car to work. The car’s owner confronted Thurman, who allegedly fired two shots while running away. The owner of the car was actually struck by a bullet, but he was saved because of a knife that was in his pocket, deputies say.
Authorities say Thurman then tried to hijack another car, but the driver refused to give it up, so Thurman shot at the vehicle.
Later, deputies got a tip about someone running across U.S. 31. Authorities used police dogs to search for him in an open area near the truck stop. After about 45 minutes, they found Thurman walking along the highway, according to the sheriff’s office. Officers were able to detain him after he tripped along the road.
Deputies reportedly found a handgun on Thurman while they arrested him.
Investigators put up a drone to try to locate a backpack Thurman may have had on him at the time, but were unable to find it.
Tipton deputies arrested Thurman on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of pointing a loaded firearm and one count each of resisting law enforcement, possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, battery, criminal recklessness and violation of Illinois parole.
No one was hurt in the shooting.