Niles man charged with attempted murder for incident at Niles park

Staff report

NILES

A 23-year-old North Road man is in the Trumbull County jail in lieu of $250,000 bond, charged with attempted murder.

Police said Brandon M. Postlewait fired a handgun at a 19-year-old Niles man at Langley Park on Langley Street at 6:26 p.m. Sunday.

The victim said he went to the park to meet Postlewait over a disputed $60. During an argument, Postlewait “pointed the gun at him pulling the trigger, but the gun misfired,” the victim told police.

The victim said Postlewait “recocked” the gun and fired it into the air. He also fired it again while standing beside his vehicle, witnesses said.

Police recovered an unfired bullet at the location where the victim said the gun misfired. A spent shell casing was found near the location where the victim said Postlewait’s car was parked.

Police were called to the park for shots fired just after the purported incident. Officers saw two vehicles leaving the park and stopped them. The victim and several witnesses were in the cars but not Postlewait.

At 2:05 a.m. Monday, police went to a house on Franklin Avenue where Postlewait was living with his girlfriend. Police found Postlewait there, and he told officers he would show them where the gun was.

He was placed into custody and led officers to the backyard of a friend’s house on Franklin Avenue, and officers recovered a semi-automatic handgun in a plastic bag in the dirt.

Postlewait was not asked to enter a plea when he was arraigned Monday in Niles Municipal Court. He is set to return for a preliminary hearing Wednesday if he’s not indicted by a county grand jury by then.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.