Docs: Man pointed firearm at 2 teenage girls after crash in Greenwood

JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. -- An Indy man has been convicted after pointing a firearm at two teenage girls following a crash in Greenwood two years ago.




According to Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner, 51-year-old Roger Read was found guilty of Pointing a Firearm (Level 6 Felony) and Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated (Class C Misdemeanor). The conviction was announced Thursday following the conclusion of a jury trial in Johnson Circuit Court this week.

The jury listened to testimony from the two victims who described the fear they experienced when Read pointed his firearm at them after they accidentally struck his motorcycle on Aug. 19, 2023. Evidence was presented that confirmed Read was operating his motorcycle with a passenger and exceeding the speed limit on Tracy Road by around 20 mph, Hamner said.




At one point, Read attempted to pass the vehicle occupied by the two teenagers illegally. Hamner said this caused an accident and that afterwards, Read reportedly approached the driver, identified as a 19-year-old female, and pointed his firearm at her and the passenger.




According to court documents, one of the responding deputies reported smelling an alcoholic odor emanating from Read. The suspect went on to admit that he had consumed alcohol, but that it was earlier in the day, as he explained that he was heading back to Indianapolis after visiting a friend in Whiteland.




Although he refused to take a portable breath test, deputies developed a strong sense that Read was driving under the influence of alcohol as they noted his "speech to be slurred, as well as his balance to be poor."




Deputies detained Read as they continued speaking with him to learn more about what happened. Read claimed the passenger vehicle involved in the crash had struck his motorcycle intentionally, as he explained his reasoning for pointing his firearm at the teens. Deputies also spoke with the victims, who recalled passing Read on his motorcycle. They said Read "flipped them off" but that they didn't understand why, as they were driving under the speed limit at the time.




The accident occurred a few moments later when the passenger vehicle tried to turn right and accidentally struck Read's motorcycle, court documents said. That is when the victims said Read confronted them and pointed his firearm at them.




As part of their investigation, deputies also met and spoke with a witness who corroborated the accounts provided by the two victims.




During the testimony, one of the victims recalled fleeing the area in a panic after seeing Read armed with a firearm.




"We will be asking the judge for a substantial jail sentence to specifically deter this kind of dangerous, bullying behavior, Hamner said. "Deterrence is one of the fundamental goals of the criminal justice system. And we must send a message to criminals that we will not tolerate them endangering our citizens and our families with firearms."




Read faces a possible sentence of up to 2.5 years for the level 6 felony conviction, while the misdemeanor charge could see him receive another 180 days in jail. He is set to learn his full sentence on Aug. 4 at 9 a.m.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/docs-man-pointed-firearm-at-2-teenage-girls-after-crash-in-greenwood/