Coulter Slone

WARSAW — Coulter M. Slone, 20, 1520 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, will be serving an additional two years at the Indiana Department of Corrections following his sentencing Thursday, Sept. 27. Slone is currently serving a four-year sentence in an Allen County case. Slone pleaded guilty to two level 6 felony battery charges in two separate cases. Through a plea agreement, five additional charges were dismissed.

Kosciusko Superior Court 1 Judge David Cates sentenced Slone to one year on a charge of battery, causing moderate bodily injury, involving a fight at McDonalds and another year in a second battery charge in a case involving an altercation in the county jail. These sentences will be served consecutive, one after the other to the Allen County sentencing.

J. Brad Voelz, deputy prosecuting attorney, told Cates these were interesting cases. Referring to the first case where Slone was charged with battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and disorderly conduct, Voelz stated it was a matter of self defense. However, he noted Slone made the effort to get to McDonald’s knowing there was going to be a fight. “In looking at the video, he was not the initial aggressor, but he went knowing there to be a fight and brought a knife to a fist fight,” Voelz stated.

Voelz added due to Slone’s mental health and crimes, he is a risk to reoffend and potentially escalate in the future.

Regarding the second case, where he was charged with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, battery resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of theft, Voelz stated the matter involved the alleged jumping of another inmate for food or something. “The victim recanted his story,” Voelz said, however the video tape does show there was a battery and a theft.

Benjamin Vanderpool, defense counsel, focused on Slone’s history of mental illness, noting he is taking steps to remedy the situation, seeing a doctor and therapist, plus taking medication. Vanderpool noted his client’s mental health was a contributor to his poor decisions and is now making decisions to move forward.

“I do hope you can address your issues. Just don’t do it,” said Cates, who alluded to the fact Slone had practically no prior criminal record as a juvenile or adult until these cases. “The second offense occurred while you were incarcerated … I’m serious about this, get the help you need.”

Slone was sentenced in Allen County Feb. 28, 2017, on two counts of battery with bodily injury to a public safety officer, battery by bodily waste intimidation and battery resulting in bodily injury. Through a plea bargain he was sentenced to six years on one battery charge to a public safety officer, with four years suspended;and two years in the second battery charge to a public official; to be served consecutively; and one year each on the remaining charges to be served concurrently.

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Slone was arrested in December 2016, following an altercation at McDonald’s. Coulter told police he was jumped by two other individuals who were reportedly wearing gang flags. Coulter stated after one of the individuals swung at him, he pulled a knife out and punched the individual. The other individual kicked Coulter in the face during the fight. Through the investigation it was learned Coulter and the victim had been talking through Facebook and there would be a fight. The victim received a laceration to the top of the forehead and around the left eye. Both the victim and a second subject admitted to being part of the Rolling 20s Blood set.

Slone’s second set of charges were filed in April 2018, while he was incarcerated in the county jail and after an altercation in G block with another inmate who suffered an orbital fracture to his eye. A video shows Slone with four others entering the victim’s cell, and leaving with the victim’s commissary box, going to his cell, and later returning an empty commissary box. The victim accused Slone of kicking him in the face.