A man convicted of shooting a trucker in a busy intersection during the morning rush three years ago plans to appeal the sentence handed down to him Thursday.
Lake Superior Court Judge Gina Jones sentenced Paul Michael Sloat, 29, of East Chicago, to 25 years, 20 of which will be served in prison, two in Community Corrections and three on probation. Sloat was accused of shooting Don Munson once in the chest on Aug. 22, 2022, as his father, Robert Sloat, tried to prevent Munson from taking off after allegedly clipping the mirror off their SUV.
Sloat in October was convicted of attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery by means of a deadly weapon and battery resulting in serious bodily injury. Jones in the sentencing, however, dropped all but the attempted murder charge.
Deputy Prosecutors Judith Massa and Lauren Lanham asked for a 32-year sentence, arguing that they disagreed with the defense’s position that Sloat was “unlikely” to offend again. Among their reasons was that Sloat claims to have three untreated mental illnesses for which he doesn’t take medication because “it makes him feel worse.”
“The state has to wonder if he’d been medicated, would this have happened?” Massa said.
Massa added that the jury “knew” that the Sloats should’ve called the police when it happened and that after listening to the evidence, they understood Paul Sloat should be charged with attempted murder. She also said Paul Sloat is easily swayed by others, as shown by his listening to his father to get aggressive when Paul Sloat himself said, “It was only a mirror, no big deal.”
Defense attorney Scott King maintained that the Sloats followed Munson after he pulled away because they wanted to get Munson’s license plate number and that Paul Sloat was provoked because he thought Munson was going to run over Robert Sloat. He said he would be filing a Motion to Correct and that he’ll be working with Paul Sloat’s appellate public defender during the appeal.
Robert Sloat during the sentencing appeared agitated and at one point said, “She wasn’t even born yet!” from the audience when Don Munson’s wife, Tina Munson, asked why Paul Sloat couldn’t have been a better role model for his daughter during her victim-impact statement. Robert Munson kept quiet after the bailiff told him he would be removed but kept mumbling to his wife.
For his part, Paul Sloat said he “instantly regretted” the incident and that “he’s not the violent person people make him out to be.”
“I only did what I thought I had to stop what I thought was going to happen,” Paul Sloat said. “It was a moment that went completely wrong.”
Jones didn’t disagree with him but said the fact that he shot a man in broad daylight “shocked her.”
“When you carry a gun to confront someone, there’s a high probability that you’re going to use it. It was a choice to walk to the truck, and it was a choice to cock the gun. This is the consequence of that choice,” Jones said. “The very first time I watched the video (of the shooting), I heard the gun rack before you got to the truck, and my heart jumped because I knew what was coming next.”
The top of the bullet that hit Don Munson in the chest now tops a cross pendant he wears; it was surfacing from his right shoulder, and he decided last New Year’s Eve that he didn’t want to live with the reminder of that day any longer. He went to his bathroom with a knife and cut it out, he said.
He, Tina Munson and niece Mandy Underhill said they were satisfied with the sentencing, especially since they wouldn’t have been as harsh.
“At the beginning, the prosecutors asked us what we hoped to get out of this, and we told them that if Paul could serve five years in prison with no parole, we would accept that. They drew up a plea agreement for eight years,” Tina Munson said. “He should’ve taken the plea, because the rest of this is icing on the cake.”
Sloat was turning onto 5100 Melton Road when Don Munson went around them and clipped off the mirror. Robert Sloat told him to “go get the truck” to get the license number, the Post-Tribune previously reported.
About a half-mile east, near Lake Street and Melton Road, the two men got out and confronted the driver at a stoplight, who spat on the father, a point the Munsons deny.
When Robert Sloat went in front of the cab, Munson tried to leave, so Paul Sloat jumped on the cab and fired about five shots, one of which hit Munson in the chest and lodged in his shoulder. He drove to an INDOT building, 7601 Melton Road, to get help.
Munson later denied following too closely and didn’t realize he may have hit the mirror.
Judge Gina Jones declared a mistrial in August after a woman complained to other jurors that she couldn’t be fair and impartial while she missed an appointment that week.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
