Derrick Pratcher, 33, entered a plea of not guilty on Monday for the shooting of security guard Robert Pulliam Jr. at a South Bend parking garage on March 5. Pratcher is facing charges of murder and several other counts.
According to charging documents, Pratcher was at the Wayne Street parking garage, loitering around city vehicles, when he was confronted by Pulliam.
Pulliam asked him to leave and began to call 911 for help. He reported to authorities that Pratcher was acting suspiciousoly in the parking garage.
Pratcher then allegedly pulled out a handgun from his satchel bag and fatally shot Pulliam in the head.
Police reports state that minutes before the shooting, Pulliam took a photograph of the rental car Pratcher was driving and captured the license plate of the vehicle. Law enforcement used this photo on the victim’s phone to trace the vehicle to an address in Vandalia, where Pratcher was arrested the next day.
Following a court hearing in Cassopolis last week, Pratcher waived his extradition rights and was brought back to Indiana. Pratcher’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 12.