Several punches were thrown in an ongoing disagreement between two juvenile females that led to a fight last Wednesday night in the Linton Park between several male and female juveniles. This feud then moved outside the park with boyfriends of the females participating. Before the night was over, both boyfriends allegedly resorted to drawing or using firearms. Shots were fired. The gunfire resulted in a complaint to law enforcement. Two Linton men were arrested, and now face serious felony charges involving the use of deadly weapons.

Both of the men were taken into custody and booked in to the Greene County Jail Thursday afternoon by the lead investigator in this case, Det. Sgt. James O’Malley of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.

When Bradon M. Graham, 18, appears before Judge Erik Allen for his initial hearing in Greene Circuit Court, he will be charged with:

• Intimidation – defendant draws or uses a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony,
• Criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony, and
• Pointing a firearm at another person, a Level 6 felony.

When Marlin Ball, 19, appears before Judge Allen in the same court for his initial hearing, he will be charged with:

• Criminal recklessness – defendant shoots a firearm into a building, a Level 5 felony, and
• Intimidation – defendant draws or uses a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony.

Graham’s accused of drawing a gun and pointing it at Ball in front of Graham’s residence. Ball’s accused of then going to get his father’s gun, returning to drive by Graham’s residence and firing several shots at Graham’s home.  

Officers and deputies from the sheriff’s department, the Linton Police Department and the Jasonville Police Department all responded to the scene after a call reporting the sound of gunfire first came in to Greene County Dispatch at 2:47 a.m. on Thursday, May 24.

After officers arrived at a residence located at 14395 W. County Road 150N, Linton, the house was dark and all was quiet. Nobody came to the door. Nobody responded to knocks on all entry doors or to officers speaking on their vehicle’s PA system.

But GCSD Deputy Bobby Pierce saw fresh blood stains on a vehicle parked in the backyard, one of the juvenile females arrived at the Linton Police Department to make a report, later admitting her story was fabricated, and around 4:45 a.m., officers who remained on the scene saw a light go on in the house, then quickly go off.

Finally around 6 a.m., police made contact with resident Melissa Boram who reportedly said she’d been asleep and didn’t hear law enforcement. According to a probable cause affidavit prepared by Det. O’Malley, Boram said she was the only occupant in the house, there were no firearms there, and she agreed to a search of the house, with two large pit bulls inside. One was put in a garage before officers entered. The other one, said to be very aggressive toward strangers, was contained in a bedroom.

After the search was completed on all but the bedroom, the resident was asked to leash the dog and remove it from the home. She was advised if it attacked an officer, they would defend themselves.

She could not open the bedroom door – it was locked from the inside. Then a juvenile female opened the door on an officer’s command and the dog exited the room, aggressive, growling and snapping. It lunged after Deputy Pierce who fired two shots terminating the threat.

Graham, the resident’s son, was inside the room along with three juveniles. Officers reported locating two shotguns, one black powder pistol, smoking devices, marijuana and two pills. The firearm Graham allegedly used earlier in the night, a .22 caliber revolver, was later located hidden in a spare bedroom, loaded with six bullets, one of them spent.

Graham, the three juveniles and the adult resident were transported to the Linton Police Department. Ball and his juvenile girlfriend were already there. Parents and the Greene County Juvenile Probation Officer Julie Johnson were all called in and numerous interviews were conducted over the next several hours.

As a result, O’Malley said officers learned the incident began in the Linton Park around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday between several juveniles and Ball, first verbal then physical with some being struck several times. One got blood on Graham’s vehicle when he came to pick her up.

After they all left the park, there were two vehicles driving around looking for the other one. By around 2 a.m., Graham and his friends had gone to his home on CR 150N and Ball and his passenger began driving back and forth in front of that house.

According to witness statements, Graham and friends went out to the road to confront Ball and friend. Allegedly Ball stopped his vehicle and got out with a baseball bat. A glass bottle was thrown into Ball’s vehicle and then Graham pulled a loaded revolver. At that point, Ball returned to his vehicle and left the area.

Ball allegedly then drove to his parents’ home and took his father’s loaded Smith & Wesson 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, drove back to Graham’s residence and fired several shots at the house as he drove by, reporting that someone fired a shot back at him. The firearm used by Ball in this incident was also recovered by police.

No information has been released about whether any of the juveniles might be facing possible charges.

Judge Allen set bond for both Graham and Ball at $20,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. As of mid-afternoon Tuesday, the men had not posted bond and both were still incarcerated in the Greene County Jail.