A LaPorte County judge denied a request to move the trial of the man accused of shooting LaPorte County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Samuelson. WNDU[1], Hometown News Now[2], ABC57[3], and WSBT[4] reported that the ruling came in La Porte Circuit Court on Thursday, October 8, 2026. A jury drawn from outside the county will hear the case in La Porte.
Sharod Grafton, 22, of Chicago, is charged with Level 1 felony attempted murder and other counts with weapons enhancements in the May 2026 shooting. The exact date of the shooting in May was not stated in the reports. Deputy Samuelson was shot multiple times, was critically injured, and is now paralyzed. A charge is an accusation, and Grafton is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
According to a probable cause affidavit described by the outlets, Samuelson had driven Grafton, who was stranded, to the hospital. Samuelson returned after learning that Grafton allegedly had stolen his mother's car at gunpoint in Chicago.
The reports do not agree on every detail. WNDU and ABC57 place the shooting at Franciscan Health Michigan City, while Hometown News Now says it happened during a struggle just outside Michigan City. The reported trial dates also conflict: WNDU reported November 9, while ABC57 reported February 2027.
What should injured people do next?
Paralysis can bring long-term medical care, rehabilitation, and changes at home and work. If you suffer a catastrophic injury, keep copies of medical records, bills, and documents showing time missed from work. The firm's guide to organizing evidence for an Indiana injury claim explains why careful documentation matters.
Officers and other workers hurt on the job may have workplace benefits as well as other legal options. Understanding how a workers' compensation claim and a third-party claim may fit together can help you avoid overlooking an available path.
A criminal case and a civil claim are separate. Civil deadlines can continue running while the criminal case is pending. If you need to understand what documents to organize before speaking with a lawyer, review the firm's first personal injury consultation checklist.
Why location matters in an Indiana injury claim
This criminal case is in La Porte Circuit Court in LaPorte County, and the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office is Deputy Samuelson's agency. Venue questions in a criminal case are separate from where a civil case would be filed, which is ordinarily the county where an injury happened or where a defendant lives.
The general deadline for an Indiana injury claim is two years under Ind. Code 34-11-2-4. Indiana's modified comparative fault rule, Ind. Code 34-51-2-6, provides that an injured person whose own fault is greater than 50 percent recovers nothing. Otherwise, recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. You can read more about Indiana injury claim deadlines and the state's 51 percent fault rule.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm helps people across Indiana who suffer serious injuries because of someone else's wrongdoing or carelessness. Chad Delventhal can explain how catastrophic injury claims work, how insurers may aggressively defend them, and which deadlines may apply. No outcome can be promised in any case.
If you want to discuss your circumstances, you can request a free case evaluation.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
