Portage police raid results in eight drug-related arrests

PORTAGE | Eight people were arrested Wednesday following a police raid on a north side home.

Portage SWAT team members served an arrest warrant for Durrand James, 35, about 3 p.m. Wednesday at a home in the 6600 block of Palm Street.

Police said James was arrested Jan. 23 in Portage and later charged with drunken driving and a having a handgun without a permit. Police later learned he was on parole in Illinois for drug dealing and could not legally posses a firearm.

Officers entered the home and found several people inside. They confiscated four guns, ammunition, heroin, crack cocaine, assorted pills, drug paraphernalia, scales and nearly $5,000 in cash.

David Swanson, 57, of Portage, faces charges for allegedly maintaining a common nuisance, and Sara Landree, 23, of Porter, faces a drug possession charge. Arrested for drug paraphernalia and visiting a common nuisance were Leanne Shukitis, 38, of Portage, James Shudick, 42, of Chesterton, and John Solley, 55, of Michigan City. Arrested for visiting a common nuisance were Erica Childress, 23, of Burns Harbor, Brent Keen, 34, of Chesterton, and Brett Hasek, 23, of Chesterton.

Police said James was not inside the home at the time and an active warrant for his arrest remains in effect.

In a release, Mayor James Snyder said the Police Department is done "talking and dazzling the residents with fancy figures and stats regarding crime," and that gangs and drug dealers will be brought to justice.

"I have authorized Chief (Troy) Williams to use whatever force necessary to put an end to drugs and gangs in Portage" Snyder said. "We understand that these issues are disturbing, but they are the truth. We do not intend to hide the truth from our residents; we intend to deal with it swiftly and effectively."

Williams said with the raid officers put a dent in the distribution of drugs in a residential neighborhood with a number of young families.