A Greenwood man will serve up to 30 years in state prison for shooting at a Bargersville police officer last year.
A jury last month convicted Andrew Phillip McQuinn, 29, of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony; possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony; domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 and theft of a firearm, both Level 6 felonies; as well as misdemeanor possession of a handgun without a license. He could have been sentenced to as many as 57 years in prison.
McQuinn shot at Bargersville police officer Klint Brown following a domestic battery incident on Feb. 9, 2020. Several witnesses — including Brown himself — testified that McQuinn shot at the responding officer.
Johnson County Superior Court 2 Judge Peter Nugent sentenced McQuinn to 30 years for attempted murder, with concurrent sentences of six years for possession of a firearm and a year each for the three lesser charges. This means McQuinn will serve up to 30 years total, which is equal to the advisory sentence for attempted murder.
Johnson County Prosecutor Joe Villanueva advocated for a 44-year sentence, including a 35-year sentence for attempted murder and a nine-year sentence for possession of a firearm, to be served consecutively.
Nugent arrived at the sentence following testimony about aggravating and mitigating factors.
Key aggravating factors were McQuinn’s prior criminal history and a pattern of probation violations following light sentences, including 19 arrests or charges, 10 instances of battery or similar charges and five probation violations, Villanueva said.
The main mitigating factor is McQuinn does appear to have remorse for his actions, Nugent said. In court, he appeared to be a different man than he was on body camera footage that was presented during the trial, he said.
Nugent further admonished McQuinn to be less quick to draw a gun in the future and think about how his actions impact other people, such as his mother and ex-girlfriend who are both left to deal with the aftermath.
McQuinn’s mother, Angie Rosetto, said her son is a good person and doubts he had any intent to kill Brown that night. Instead, she said, the shooting was a cry for help.
“He intended to go to jail but he never intended to kill anyone. He wanted to go to jail to dry out if that makes sense,” Rosetto said before the sentencing Thursday. “He doesn’t need to go to jail for 57 years at 29. He needs help with alcohol and drugs, not incarceration.”
McQuinn’s situation and past brushes with the law are manifestations of him habitually being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Rosetto said. He deals with his troubles through alcohol and drugs, she said.
A 30-year sentence means it will be a long time before Rosetto gets to hug her son again. His young daughters will likely be well into adulthood before he is released, she said.
How the trial played out and the lengthy sentence do not sit well with her, she said.
