A Jackson Township man was convicted of aggravated battery and battery with a deadly weapon on Friday in connection with a shooting at his residence in January.

At 4 a.m., following a trial which began on Monday, a jury found Randy M. Swisher, 53, of 437E U.S. Highway 6, guilty of both charges, Porter County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mike Drenth told the Chesterton Tribune today.

Aggravated battery is a Class B felony punishable by a term of six to 20 years; battery with a deadly weapon, a Class C felony punishable by a term of two to eight years. Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa is scheduled to sentence Swisher in September, Drenth said.

According to the Porter County Sheriff’s Police, at 4:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day, Swisher’s roommate, Chad Nolan, 21, accompanied by several friends and family members, went to the front door of the house. Swisher answered the door armed with a shotgun and several handguns, police said, and fired the shotgun at Nolan, hitting him in the right shoulder. Nolan himself was armed with a .22 caliber pistol and returned fire, hitting Swisher in the stomach and right leg, police said.

Swisher attempted to flee but, still armed with the pistol, was apprehended by PCSP officers, police said. Both Swisher and Nolan were treated at Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus.

Police said that family members reported Swisher to have been acting delusional for several days prior to the incident but that no one had sought treatment for him.

Swisher was found competent to stand trial earlier this summer after a third competency test. Of two previous tests conducted by Porter-Starke Services, one found him competent, the other not competent.

Swisher represented himself during the trial after firing his public defender, Drenth said.

Posted 8/20/2008