MAY 20, 2025 UPDATE: Earlier this month, the case against a Michigan City man on the charge of Attempted Murder was dismissed due to prosecution's inability to locate the victim. 

" ... and moves the court to dismiss this case in its entirety for the following reasons, 1. We have attempted to reach out and locate the victims since this case was filed, and to this day have received no response; 2. The victim witnesses in this matter are material to being able to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt; 3. The State can not in good faith continue to prosecute this case without the victims' cooperation," the order granting the motion to dismiss reads. 

MAY 22, 2024 ORIGINAL: MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. - The Michigan City Police report on Tuesday, May 21, at 7:28 p.m., the La Porte County Dispatch Center received the first of three calls regarding a person holding a shotgun while having a verbal argument with other people in the 700 block of Plymouth Court.

Officers responded to the area and encountered 36-year-old Michigan City resident Chad Topa, who was armed with a loaded shotgun. 

Authorities say they were able to deescalate the situation and safely take possession of the loaded shotgun from Topa.

Initial investigation by the responding officers indicate that Topa was having a verbal argument with multiple people in the 700 block of Plymouth Court while armed with the shotgun, and evidence on scene indicated the shotgun was discharged toward two people involved in this altercation. 

No one involved in the incident was struck by the gunfire or injured. 

Topa was taken into custody and multiple pieces of evidence were collected from the scene by officers.

The LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office presented this case to LaPorte County Superior Court 1 where the judge found probable cause to charge Topa with two counts of Attempted Murder, a level one felony, and two counts of Attempted Aggravated Battery, a level three felony.

Topa was issued a $100,000.00 cash only bond and his initial court appearance is scheduled for May 28, at 8:30 a.m. in LaPorte County Superior Court 1.