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Last updated on Wednesday, May 14, 2014
(BROWNSTOWN) - 18-year-old Isiah Roger told police he “wanted to die by cop” after he was arrested on charges of attempted murder after he fired at least five shots at Jackson County Deputy Rick Meyer.
He is also facing charges of aggravated battery and carrying a handgun without a license after a felony conviction. Roger had been released from prison in February and was on parole after serving part of a sentence on a sexual assault conviction.
Roger is accused of shooting Deputy Meyer, after he responded to a call of a suspicious person at a bridge on State Road 39 just south of Tampico.
Meyer suffered two gunshot wounds to his shoulder area. Meyer returned gunfire, striking Roger in the left arm above the elbow. Both Meyer and Roger were flown for treatment at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis; both have since been released.
A second man, 21-year-old Alexandrew Mullikin of Vernon, was arrested on a Jennings County warrant for auto theft and false informing Thursday night and remains jailed in Brownstown pending transfer.
Sheriff Michael Carothers says local charges will not be requested against Mullikin, because he told police he "had no clue" that the shooting was going to happen or that Roger was armed with a weapon.
On Thursday at 7:06 p.m. officer Meyer was dispatched to investigate what appeared to be juveniles walking along the highway with a trash bag and a gasoline can and who were acting suspicious.
Meyer stopped his police cruiser on the bridge after watching the men disappear beneath the bridge. He spotted Mullikin, who crawled out and spoke with Meyer.
While arresting Mullikin, Roger began yelling and came out from beneath the bridge and opened fire. Deputy Meyer was hit in the shoulder area and retreated to the rear of the police car. More shots were fired and Meyer returned fire hitting Roger in the arm.
The resident who had made the initial call saw what was happening, grabbed his shotgun and drove to the bridge. Meyer asked him to cover the two men until backup arrived. County officers Jeff Walters and Dustin Steward and Crothersville Officer Kelly Barger soon arrived and took Mullikin and Roger into custody.
While being interviewed at Methodist Hospital, Roger told police he shot Meyer because he was scared and tired of hiding. Police said it appeared six shots were fired at Meyer with a .38-caliber special RG40.
Roger told police he threw the gun away after it ran out of ammunition and after he had been shot by Meyer. Roger told police he traded a shotgun for the handgun with a Seymour man a couple of weeks earlier.
Roger underwent surgery for a gunshot wound above his left elbow Friday morning. He was taken to the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown on Sunday night. He remained there Monday.
Meyer was released from Methodist at 11:30p.m. Thursday and returned to his Seymour home after surgeons decided not to remove one .38-caliber slug lodged in his front right shoulder. The slug that struck his left shoulder passed through his body.
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