The La Porte County Drug Task Force (LCDTF), announced an arrest last week of a Serious Violent Felon with a Firearm in Michigan City.  It was announced that last Tuesday evening, while LCDTF Detectives were conducting surveillance in the 200 block of West 11th Street, they observed 33-year old La Porte resident Anthony Sanders walk out the front door of a home in the 1000 block of Washington Street.  The detectives noticed that Sanders had a firearm with a high capacity magazine in one of his hands.  Detectives were familiar with Sanders and knew he was a convicted felon which made it unlawful for him to possess a firearm.

The detectives observed Sanders begin to waive the gun in the air as they continued to monitor his actions. They stopped their undercover police commission in the street so they could attempt to stop and arrest Sanders while armed. Sanders observed the detectives while approaching a parked vehicle and fled on foot with the firearm still in his hand. Sanders fell into a snowbank with the gun while being chased by detectives.

One detective observed Sanders discard the firearm into the snow as the other detective began ordering Sanders to show his hands.  Sanders was arrested by the detectives without further incident. Sanders was arrested and charged with Serious Violent Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Resisting Law Enforcement.

The LCDTF is an initiative of Indiana HIDTA. HIDTA stands for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.  LaPorte County received HIDTA designation in January 2017.  In the unit’s fourth year in existence, it has seen gun arrests, gun seizures and violent crime on a steady increase.  The numbers below speak for themselves.

Illegally possessed guns seized by the LCDTF 2017-2020:

2017 – 32 firearms

2018 – 36 firearms

2019 – 49 firearms

2020 – 62 firearms

Due to the recent increase in illegal gun possession and violent crime, the LCDTF says not only does it remain focused on drug trafficking, it also spends a great deal of time focused on illegal gun possession and gun violence.

The LCDTF says it will focus strongly on illegal gun possession by felons in 2021. In addition to the task force’s normal efforts of thwarting illegal drug activity.