Man arrested in Evansville shooting gets 88-day sentence

EVANSVILLE — A judge on Friday sentenced Otis Rankin, one of two Evansville men accused of having been involved in a shootout that injured three people, including a teenager, in July to serve fewer than three months in jail after prosecutors dismissed the most serious charges he faced − attempted murder − due to a lack of evidence.

Vanderburgh County Circuit Court Magistrate Kelli Fink sentenced Rankin, 31, to serve 88 days in the Indiana Department of Corrections, the judgment states, with 44 days credit for time served. That comes after Rankin pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor criminal recklessness.

According to court records, prosecutors dismissed two counts of attempted murder, both Level 1 felonies, they had levied against Rankin. A docket entry in the case reads, "State does not believe they can prove Counts 1 and 2 (attempted murder) beyond a reasonable doubt."

Rankin's arrest followed what Evansville police described as a chaotic night in mid-July that saw large crowds gathered at several East Side locations, which reportedly led to fights, a heavy police response and, ultimately, a volley of gunfire that injured a man, woman and juvenile at an On The Fly gas station.

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Police records obtained at the time named Rankin as the suspect who allegedly shot the man and the juvenile, striking the teenager in the head. 32-year-old Luther King Lawton Jr. stands accused of shooting and injuring a female bystander while also taking shots at Rankin.

According to court records, Lawton Jr. faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony, battery by means of a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony.

A review hearing in Lawton's case is scheduled for Sept. 17.

Houston Harwood can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Man arrested in Evansville shooting gets 88-day sentence