Chicago felon charged with Lafayette shooting

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A bottle of vodka. That was the catalyst for the April 7 shooting at 1412 Broadway St., according to charges filed against a man with three felony convictions in Chicago.

Prosecutors charged Major D. Townsend, 36, with eight charges, accusing him of shooting a 27-year-old Lafayette man in the leg about 6:45 a.m. April 7. Townsend sometimes goes by the name Anthony Holmes, according to police.

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The shooting victim was supposed to buy Townsend a bottle of vodka, which he did, according to police. But the bottle got broken, and Townsend demanded payment for the broken bottle of vodka, according to the probable cause affidavit.

While they argued on the front porch, Townsend shot the man, and the bullet made a clean pass through his thigh, according to the probable cause affidavit.

On April 17, prosecutors charged Townsend with aggravated battery, possession of a firearm by a violent felon, battery with a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, pointing a firearm and two counts of carrying a handgun without a permit.

Because Townsend has three felony convictions in Chicago —burglary, attempted robbery and escape — prosecutors charged him with being an habitual offender.

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