Stephen Blaine Vancuren

WARSAW — Stephen Blaine Vancuren, 53, 723 S. Union St., Warsaw, was awoken by the sound of heavy machinery and decided to make it stop by shooting a 20-gauge shotgun in the general area of the noise.

Warsaw Police Officer Ryan Petty responded to a call in a wooded area of Warsaw. When Petty arrived he spoke to a hauling and excavating company’s employees, as they were clearing the woods off of a property in the area of Columbia Street, Warsaw.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, one employee stated he heard a noise that sounded like a tire blowing out or a shotgun being fired. After the noise, the employee reported he felt something hit his shoulder. Petty observed a red welt on the person’s shoulder.

Petty spoke with another employee who said he heard a shot and what sounded like a shot hitting the side of their Sky Power Lift machine. He stated that after the shot hit the machine the employee with the welt yelled that he had been struck by something in the shoulder.

Petty observed the damage to the machine that appeared to have been caused by buckshot. Petty noticed a direct line from the equipment damage to the back door of Vancuren’s residence.

Petty spoke with Vancuren, who stated he was very upset about the excavating employees clearing the woods and he couldn’t sleep because of the machines. Vancuren admitted to Petty that he grabbed his New England 20-gauge shotgun from his bedroom and shot one round of buckshot, into the air, from his back door towards where the workers were in the woods.

Vancuren stated he wanted the workers to stop cutting down the trees behind his residence. Vancuren gave officers consent to enter his home and and take the shotgun.

Vancuren is being held on a $10,250 surety and cash bond.