Man charged after shootout with neighbor in Johnson County
GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — The Johnson County prosecutor has charged a man with criminal recklessness weeks after he got into a shootout with a neighbor, who happens to be an Indianapolis firefighter.
County Prosecutor Brad Cooper said Jeffrey Weigle is recovering from his injuries from that shootout in late June and his arrest warrant is with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
A 16-year dispute between neighbors boiled over in a dramatic video back in June. Weigle waving his gun toward his neighbor Dean Keller, who pulled out his own weapon and a shootout rocked rural Greenwood.
Keller was cleared of any potential charges and, on Wednesday, Cooper said Weigle, who was shot multiple times, caused the shootout.
“You see what drawing the gun and waving the gun caused. It caused people to start shooting at each other,” he said.
Cooper also filed an order of protection against Weigle. The alarm stemming from Weigle allegedly saying once he gets out of the hospital, he wants to kill Dean Keller.
“There was nothing holding him so we don’t want him to go out and do what he said he was going to do, so, yes, we are very concerned about that,” he said.
WISH-TV informed Keller’s wife about the charge and the order of protection.
“That’s something. That’s more than we had in 16 years,” Lisa Keller said.
She said it has been a tough past few weeks.
“Nobody should have to be armed because someone on the other side of fence doesn’t like them,” she said.
She said that fateful June afternoon has left a mark on her family.
“It has completely altered my husband’s ability to sleep at night. He doesn’t. My 15-year-old doesn’t sleep. She won’t go out in the yard. She thinks she sees him everywhere,” she said.
The order of protection means Weigle can no longer live next-door. The hope is that this neighborhood can become quiet again.
“I just don’t think we’ve ever done anything to justify what happened,” Keller said.
The charges filed do not include anything on the alleged threats Weigle made recently. WISH-TV knocked on the door of the home where Weigle has been living, but no one responded.
As for his arrest, Weigle is still recovering at a hospital from his gunshot wounds but the sheriff’s office has the warrant to arrest him. Jail staff are currently monitoring him at a rehab facility. Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox said his office received an email from a concerned citizen saying the Weigle was threatening to leave the hospital so that he could harm Keller.
If he’s found guilty he could spend up to 2.5 years in prison.
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