Two men who were facing criminal charges in Johnson County courts have pled guilty and been sentenced on charges including attempting to disarm a police officer and dealing methamphetamine.
The Daily Journal has previously reported about these cases and is sharing this update to give resolution to our earlier reporting on crime in the community.
Four years for gun-related charges
A Greenwood man has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to disarm a police officer and firing a gun at a house where children were present.
Nathan H. Shaffer, 34, was sentenced to four years by Johnson County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Roesener on Jan. 26 on charges of attempting to disarm a police officer, a Level 5 felony, and two counts of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, both Level 6 felonies. He had previously pleaded guilty to the charges in October, according to online court records.
For the four-year sentence, two years will be on work release, one year will be on home detention and one year will be suspended to active probation. He also received a jail credit of five days, according to online court records.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of pointing a firearm at another person, both as a felony and a misdemeanor, and a misdemeanor count of domestic battery were dismissed.
In October 2021, Greenwood police responded to a home in the 900 block of Bentgrass Drive after a man — later determined to be Shaffer — called 911 to report that shots were fired. A dispatcher told police Shaffer seemed “off,” and he reported two gunshots before the call disconnected, according to a probable cause affidavit.
After returning from a walk, Shaffer — who had been drinking alcohol — came downstairs with a gun. He fired the gun into the floor of the living room, below where children were sleeping, court documents show.
Shaffer pointed a revolver at himself and another adult before firing into the ground again. He then placed the gun on top of the refrigerator and went to the garage, the victim told police.
Around this time a Beech Grove police officer who received a call from the other adult arrived at the home. The adult came out to his patrol car, and while they were speaking the home’s garage door opened, documents show.
The officer entered the garage with his gun drawn and found Shaffer unarmed. He began talking with Shaffer, who grabbed and loaded an empty magazine into a handgun that was on the hood of a car in the garage.
Shaffer pointed the empty gun at the officer and pulled the trigger, but it did not go off. The officer pointed his weapon at Shaffer and took cover. Later, the officer could hear what sounded like bullets being loaded into a magazine, according to court documents.
When Greenwood police arrived, they joined the Beech Grove officer with guns drawn and asked Shaffer to put his gun down. Shaffer fired the gun into the area where officers were standing, and police ran for cover, court documents show.
During the chaos, Shaffer ran back inside the house. But less than a minute later, he walked out the front door of the house unarmed with his hands up. While he was being taken into custody, he unsuccessfully attempted to grab an officer’s weapon, police said.
Officers entered the house and the children inside were found unharmed, documents show.
Six years for meth dealing
An Indianapolis man arrested as part of 2021 multi-agency drug roundup will serve six years in prison.
Mark A. Miller, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts of dealing methamphetamine, one as a Level 4 felony and one as a Level 5 felony, before Johnson County Superior Court 3 judge Douglas Cummins on Feb. 2. He was originally charged with two counts of dealing meth as a Level 4 felony, but as part of the plea agreement this was amended and lowered to a Level 5 felony.
He was sentenced the same day to six years in prison, with a 142-day jail credit. He was also ordered to pay $170 in restitution to the benefit of the Franklin Police Department, according to online court records.
Miller was one of 34 individuals targeted by police in Operation United Front, a September 2021 drug roundup. Officials from the Franklin Police Department, Greenwood Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office collaborated for the operation.
In less than six hours, 25 people were arrested. At the time officials said the roundup was months in the making and the result of countless hours of work.
Miller’s sentence will be served consecutively to a sentence given in a separate Marion County case, court records show.
