BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Bloomington Police arrested a man Tuesday after he allegedly tried to rob two people at gunpoint during a drug deal for marijuana on Sunday.
Michael Jackson, 31, of Bloomington, faces charges of:
- Attempted Armed Robbery, a level 3 felony
- Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, a level 4 felony
- Battery with a Deadly Weapon, a level 5 felony
- Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon, a level 5 felony
According to court documents, on Feb. 18, officers responded to Atlas Apartments for a call of someone pulling out a gun on another person. When police arrived in the area, they found the two reported victims, who told police they were meeting someone to sell something on Facebook Marketplace.
The victims told police that Jackson showed up to the spot and got out of his car wearing a ski mask and holding a handgun. Jackson allegedly pointed the gun through the driver’s side window and said to “get out of the car,” before circling to the passenger side and reportedly opening the door, pulling the other victim out of the car.
Court documents say that the victim reported Jackson beat him with the gun around his ear and then accidentally dropped the gun on the ground. The victim tried to push him, but Jackson reportedly was able to grab the gun again and smacked the victim with the gun a second time before rushing to his car and driving away.
In an interview with police, the two victims were able to give a description of the car and admitted that they were actually in the area to meet someone to buy $20 worth of marijuana. Court documents say that police were able to get the cell phone number of the person they were texting, which registered to Jackson.
Police say they were able to locate the car at an apartment complex off Basswood Drive, which police determined was where Jackson’s girlfriend lived. Court documents say the license plate was registered to Enterprise Rental Company, who confirmed the renter was Michael Jackson.
The day after the incident, police asked the victims to select the suspect from a photo lineup of six people. The victim who was in the driver’s seat was not able to pinpoint a suspect, but the passenger victim identified Jackson as the man he fought with, and said he was 80% sure it was Jackson.
Online court records show an arrest warrant was issued on Feb. 20, and Jackson was arrested that same day. At his initial hearing, Jackson entered a not guilty plea and is still being held in jail. He has a bail review hearing set for Feb. 27.
