Second man pleads in shooting incident

A Perry Township man has admitted to firing at a Jeep that was occupied by four other men in Madison Township.

Jason Harman, 19, was arrested in a traffic stop following an incident that occurred around 2 a.m. Feb. 20 in the 6100 block of North Ridge Road.

A witness reported that at least one man in a black Kia fired at a Jeep Cherokee.

Harman, a passenger in the Kia, pleaded guilty Nov. 28 in Lake County Common Pleas Court to attempted felonious assault and improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle.

He now faces up to 54 months in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 11 by Judge Eugene A. Lucci.

Assistant County Prosecutor Jenny Azouri said Harman decided to get into the Kia with a 12-gauge shotgun after being contacted by a co-defendant. Harman and his friends then encountered a Jeep with four teens in it.

“At least one shot was fired at the vehicle,” Azouri said.

However, nobody was injured during the incident and the vehicle was not struck with a bullet.

Harman said he agreed to get into the car because he was under the impression that one of his friends was being “jumped” by more than a dozen people.

“We got into the car and went

to Sheetz,” he added. “I grabbed the gun and put it out the window. I discharged the firearm once and that was pretty much it.”

Harman, who was in court with defense attorney Michael H. Peterson, remains free on bond pending sentencing.

Co-defendant Justin Green, a 20-year-old Mentor-on-the-Lake man, pleaded guilty Nov. 6 to attempted felonious assault and intimidation of an attorney, victim or witness for threatening three of the victims on two different occasions.

Green could be sentenced to up to six years in prison at his Jan. 25 sentencing.

The Kia driver, 18-yearold Perry Village resident Sean Durkee, is scheduled for trial Dec. 18.

Durkee is charged with multiple felonious assault counts, plus tampering with evidence and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.

A fourth suspect, 18-yearold Tyler Shields of Perry Township, was indicted on four counts of felonious assault with firearm specifications.

Harman and Durkee were originally charged with attempted murder.