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Last updated on Sunday, January 28, 2018
(DUBOIS CO.) - The man arrested after allegedly firing a gun at a county highway employee near Pine Ridge Elementary was formally charged in Dubois County Circuit Court.
76-year-old Virgil L. Crews is facing five counts from the incident that involved a seven-hour standoff at his home.
Crews is facing felony charges of battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, criminal recklessness, pointing a firearm and a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief.
According to Indiana State Police, the incident began when a county highway employee was plowing State Road 64 near Pine Ridge Road and turned north onto Pine Ridge Road. That is when he noticed Crews standing outside 4715 Pine Ridge Road motioning at him.
The county employee told police he thought the man wanted him to plow snow from in front of a set of mailboxes so he positioned the plow in front of the mailboxes to remove the snow. As he drove forward and passed the man, Crews allegedly gestured at the driver and grabbed his crotch. A moment later, the driver heard something and realized Crews had shot at the grader. The county employee drove to the elementary school and called 911.
According to police, the driver suffered abrasions to his left cheek and ear from glass that sprayed from the breaking window.
Police say the grader had been shot only one time.
When police arrived Crews had went back inside his home. Police attempted to speak to Crews but he refused to come to the door or out of the home.
Police contacted a family member and brought them to the scene to speak to Crews and have him surrender. When that didn't work, police entered the home. When they entered at 11:13 p.m. they found Crews sitting on his couch. He complied with orders to come to the door and surrendered without further incident.
Crews allegedly told police he had never seen the grader and had not been outside except to feed the cats and had never left his porch.
A not guilty plea was entered in behalf of Crews. He is being held in the Dubois County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 5.
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