A Porter woman was in custody on a preliminary charge of felony battery after Porter Police said that she shot a man identified as her ex-husband early Wednesday morning.

Beverly Therese Mitchell, 44, of 321 Michigami Trail, was booked into the Porter County Jail at 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police said.

At 4:18 a.m., patrol units from the Porter, Chesterton, Burns Harbor, and Ogden Dunes police departments responded to a 911 call at the residence. There they found Donald M. Crouse, 45, on a couch with a 20-gauge shotgun wound to the upper half of his chest, Det. Jason Casbon told the Chesterton Tribune today. Crouse was alive and transported to Porter hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and was then admitted.

Mitchell herself, carrying the shotgun, had gone to a neighbor’s home for assistance and was taken into custody.

“Initial investigation indicates Mitchell shot Crouse during a domestic disturbance,” Casbon said. “Mitchell is claiming self-defense and we’re investigating the circumstances to see if the evidence fits that claim.”

Casbon did say that Mitchell had “some injuries to her hands, scratches, which were not bleeding and had coagulated” at the time she was taken into custody.

Family members have indicated that Crouse is Mitchell’s ex-husband, Casbon said.

Investigators planned to meet with the Porter County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office today “to see how they want to pursue this,” Casbon added.

The scene was processed by PCSP evidence technicians.

Posted 9/16/2011