A rural Galva man no longer faces charges of First Degree Murder, after a Knox County Grand Jury instead opted to file lesser charges following a shooting incident in rural Knox County last month.
Knox County Circuit Court records indicate while prosecutors filed First-Degree murder charges against 58-year-old James Love, the Grand Jury instead filed counts of Involuntary Manslaughter, along with charges of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, and Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm.
Sheriffs deputies responded to an area near Love’s home in late-June for a crash, but learned that Love allegedly got into an confrontation with the driver of the car, 19-year-old Xavier Hartman. Hartman ended up being shot in the leg allegedly by Love. Hartman was pronounced dead at a Kewanee hospital, after the bullet struck an artery.
Love posted bond in the case and has been released, and as a result, had to give up any weapons and any firearm owners identification card.
Love — who’s being represented by a Bloomington-based attorney — is scheduled to be back in court Tuesday afternoon.
