09/14/2026
La Porte County Prosecutor Faces Growing Backlash Over Plea Offer in Deputy Jon Samuelson Shooting Case
LA PORTE COUNTY — La Porte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan is facing mounting public criticism from the family of wounded Deputy Jon Samuelson, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office and local Fraternal Order of Police lodges over a proposed plea agreement for the man accused of shooting Samuelson three times inside Franciscan Health Michigan City.
The dispute has moved well beyond a routine disagreement over prosecutorial strategy. Samuelson’s wife, Quinn Samuelson, has publicly opposed the proposed agreement; the Sheriff’s Office has asked that any plea offer be withdrawn; and Fraternal Order of Police Dunes Lodge No. 75 is calling on Fagan to resign his associate membership in the organization.
At the center of the controversy is 22-year-old Sharod Grafton, who is charged with attempted murder, battery against a public safety official and auto theft in connection with the May 22 shooting. Grafton has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations against him remain accusations unless proven beyond a reasonable doubt or admitted through a guilty plea.
According to statements released by Samuelson’s family and law enforcement organizations, Fagan offered Grafton a plea agreement that would remove firearm-related sentencing enhancements.
Reports Saturday that Grafton had been offered a plea agreement and that the proposal included removal of weapons enhancements that could potentially add substantial prison time.
The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office responded publicly by standing behind Samuelson and his wife and asking that any plea agreement being offered be removed from the case.
The agency said Sheriff Ronald Heeg has remained committed to supporting the wishes of Samuelson and his family and characterized the decision to offer a plea contrary to the victim’s wishes as deeply troubling.
“This is not simply a criminal case to Jon, Quinn, or the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office,” the agency said in its statement, adding that the shooting has affected Samuelson, his family, fellow deputies and the broader community.
Quinn Samuelson released a lengthy letter describing the family’s conversations with the Prosecutor’s Office and making clear that her husband wanted the case taken to trial.
According to Quinn, the family was contacted in early August to discuss options that included trial or a plea agreement. She said Jon believed going to trial was how he wanted the case to proceed.
Quinn said she and Jon learned Sept. 10 that Grafton had been offered a plea agreement by Fagan that included removing weapons enhancements.
She strongly rejected Fagan’s assertion during their conversations that he understood what the family had endured.
Quinn described watching her husband undergo extensive medical treatment after the shooting, spending hours waiting during surgery and witnessing his continuing struggle with mobility and rehabilitation.
“So no, he does not ‘understand,’” Quinn wrote.
She said the family does not support the proposed resolution and accused Fagan of making the offer without adequately considering the wishes of the victim.
Quinn also alleged that Fagan told her Jon should focus on matters such as therapy rather than the criminal trial, a comment that has drawn additional criticism from the FOP.
Samuelson’s injuries were severe. After the shooting, he underwent approximately eight hours of surgery before eventually being transferred for intensive inpatient rehabilitation.
Brian Wright, president of Fraternal Order of Police Dunes Lodge No. 75, issued an extensive statement opposing Fagan’s handling of the case.
Wright argued that prosecutors and police are supposed to operate as partners, with officers investigating crimes and making arrests while prosecutors carry cases through the court system.
He specifically contrasted the proposed agreement with Fagan’s publicly stated support for law enforcement.
According to Wright, former FOP Lodge 75 President Doug Samuelson — Jon’s father — contacted him Sept. 10 after learning about the plea offer.
Wright said the family was shocked by the proposed removal of the firearm enhancements and alleged the offer was made before Jon Samuelson or his family had been consulted about its terms.
Wright said the lodge considers the decision a “slap in the face” to law enforcement and announced that it is asking Fagan to resign his associate membership in Dunes Lodge No. 75.
The organization is also calling on the Prosecutor’s Office to pursue the case without the proposed reduction.
The controversy is particularly intense because of the evidence described in court records.
According to court documents, Samuelson encountered Grafton near a disabled Chrysler 300 while the deputy was traveling to training on May 22. Grafton asked for a ride, and Samuelson transported him in his marked K-9 vehicle to Franciscan Health Michigan City.
Samuelson subsequently learned that the Chrysler had reportedly been stolen during an armed incident in Chicago and returned to the hospital.
Authorities allege Grafton produced a handgun during the ensuing confrontation and shot Samuelson three times.
Court records reviewed by news organizations state that a hospital nurse saw Grafton pointing the weapon at him. The nurse told investigators Samuelson pushed Grafton’s gun hand away, an action the nurse believes saved his life.
Surveillance video allegedly shows Samuelson stop moving after the third shot. Investigators say Grafton then stood over Samuelson and pointed the weapon at him again, but the video showed no recoil. Police later recovered the G***k handgun and found it jammed with a spent casing inside.
Grafton was subsequently arrested near the hospital.
Fagan has not publicly addressed the family’s allegations in detail.
When contacted Friday by Region News Source regarding reports of a potential plea agreement, Fagan declined to discuss the substance of the active prosecution, citing his ethical responsibilities.
Fagan told RNS he has an “ethical responsibility to speak to only what is in the public record, e.g. pleadings, filings, and open court.”
That limitation creates an important distinction in the growing controversy: the Samuelson family, Sheriff’s Office and FOP can publicly explain their positions and conversations, while Fagan maintains that professional ethics prevent him from publicly discussing many aspects of an active prosecution.
Likewise, an offered plea agreement is not itself a sentence, and the ultimate disposition of the criminal case remains subject to the judicial process. The judge can also throw out the plea deal and move to go to trial.
What is clear, however, is that opposition to the proposed agreement has become public.
Samuelson’s wife wants the case tried. His family has spoken out. The Sheriff’s Office has asked for the plea offer to be withdrawn. Dunes Lodge No. 75 is opposing the agreement and asking Fagan to leave the organization as an associate member.
Meanwhile, Grafton continues to face the criminal charges stemming from the May 22 shooting and remains presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted or enters a guilty plea. His jury trial had previously been scheduled for Nov. 9.
