PFW professor arrested and charged after gun incident in restaurant

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) – A longtime chemistry professor at Purdue University in Fort Wayne has been arrested on one count stemming from an incident in November involving a gun at a Fort Wayne restaurant.

ABC21 began to dig deeper into the conflict involving Donald E. Linn Jr. earlier this month, repeatedly contacting public university officials about the matter.

Although the location of the confrontation is not associated with the campus, officials from the Fort Wayne Police Department told ABC21 that the Purdue University Fort Wayne Police Department is investigating.

The school-based department has full police powers and its website notes that its “jurisdiction currently extends beyond campus property to the entire state of Indiana.”

Inquiries from the university police department went unanswered, and an administration spokesperson told ABC21 last week: “We cannot comment on this issue at this time. able to do so in the very near future. “

On Saturday, the university made the following statement:

Purdue University Fort Wayne is aware of the charges against Don Linn, a chemistry professor, which stem from an off-campus incident in November. Our first priority, of course, is safety on campus. When the university was alerted to the incident in December, Dr Linn was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the charges against him. We cannot comment further on this or any personnel issue.

Records show Allen County Superior Court Chief Justice Fran Gull on Thursday approved a single-count warrant for pointing a gun at another person, a Level 6 felony .

ABC21 has learned that the incident happened at Dicky’s 21 Taps in the 2900 block of South Maplecrest Road.

A restaurant manager declined to discuss the meeting.

The Linn University webpage, meanwhile, was taken offline within hours of his arrest.

His CV shows that he has been a teacher there since 1988.

ABC21 renewed its request for information on the investigation.

A level 6 felony is the lowest level felony charge in Indiana, most often involving a sentence of between six months and 2.5 years, if incarceration is ordered on conviction. A fine of up to $ 10,000 can also be imposed as a penalty.

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