Bradley Bowling shot multiple times on Liberty Pike. The state decided not to pursue charges.
UNION COUNTY, Ind. — Bradley Bowling was shot multiple times the night of March 30 while on Liberty Pike.
The suspected shooter, Oscar J. Gentry IV, said in police interviews that he acted in self-defense, claiming that Bowling was running after him in a threatening manner.
On Tuesday, April 9, AJ Bryson, Union County prosecutor, released the state's charging decision and supporting memorandum to the Palladium-Item, where it states that it will not be pursuing charges against Gentry given the facts known from that night.
Bryson stated in the report that "the results of this incident are tragic and the seriousness cannot be overstated," but added that the state does not believe that if the case were charged, a conviction could be attained with a "beyond a reasonable doubt verdict" based on Indiana's deadly force self-defense statute and inconsistent witness testimonies.
Palladium-Item requests to Bowling's family for comment were not returned. The report can be read online in its entirety below.
The following are key details as stated in the report:
The two calls to Union County deputies
On the night of the shooting, Union County Deputy Jeff Shoemaker was dispatched to a home on Liberty Pike around midnight after the initial caller, Gentry, told dispatch that he was in an argument and didn't feel safe there.
When Shoemaker arrived at the scene, he encountered Bowling, 25, and his 17-year-old sister, identified in the document as "B.B." and Gentry's girlfriend, and was told that "B.B." and Gentry had an argument and that Gentry was last seen on foot heading southbound on Liberty Park armed with a handgun. Bowling told Shoemaker that he too was armed, with a Kimber Micro 9mm.
Officers were called to the area later that night at about 1:40 a.m. regarding an altercation between two male subjects.
When the officers got to the scene, Bowling was found lying in the road. Trevor Young, a Liberty Police Department officer began life-saving measures.
Shoemaker, back on scene, assisted Young with the life-saving measures, tying a tourniquet around Bowling's arm.
He observed what he believed to be a large set of channel locks with red handle grips southwest of the victim and two to three feet away from Bowling.
He then collected Bowling's gun, found under his body and noted it had "a chambered round and the hammer was cocked back ready to fire."
Oscar J. Gentry IV's arrest
Not long after police arrived, dispatch notified officers that Gentry was at a residence "just north of the shooting standing by a garage."
Gentry was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Union County Jail.
Gentry told officers that he shot Bowling and that he put his handgun, magazine, wallet and other personal items on a brick ledge near the residence.
Fifteen individual shell casings were located along the west side of Liberty Pike and collected as evidence.
Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email at eweaver@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Union County prosecutor decides not to press charges in shooting death
