Anthony Dewayne Rowland Jr. has pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Judge Matthew Bailey in the Decatur Superior Court to three Level 5 Felony offenses,.
Rowland has pleaded guilty to battering a victim resulting in serious bodily injury, attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, and resisting law enforcement resulting in serious bodily injury. Rowland has also acknowledged that because of his prior felony convictions, he is an Habitual Offender under Indiana law.
Prosecuting Attorney Nate Harter represented the State in this case, and expressed satisfaction with the negotiated sentence. “Mr. Rowland’s actions seriously harmed a member of the public and endangered many more. I am pleased that Mr. Rowland has accepted responsibility and will be serving a significant period of time behind bars.”
Mr. Rowland will receive an agreed sentence of six years for his crimes, enhanced by an additional six years for being an Habitual Offender, for a total sentence of twelve years, all of which will be served at the Indiana Department of Correction.
Based on publicly available records, Mr. Rowland was involved in a verbal dispute on Interstate 74 in Decatur County regarding a disabled trailer with a boat on it. When law enforcement arrived, Mr. Rowland’s erratic behavior escalated, and he attempted to take a Taser from the hands of a sheriff’s deputy. Thereafter, Mr. Rowland began to flee the scene in his vehicle, stopped, and then reversed his vehicle into the disabled trailer and boat before once again driving away. While striking the disabled trailer and boat, Mr. Rowland also struck the boat’s owner with his vehicle, necessitating a Lifeline helicopter and prolonged hospital stay. Officers gave pursuit for several miles, including a period of time in which Mr. Rowland was driving the wrong way on Interstate 74.
Decatur County Prosecuting Attorney Nate Harter wants to recognize law enforcement personnel for their hard work on this case, specifically lead investigator on the case DCSD Deputy Patrick Graue and former DCSD Sgt. Nick Hadler, as well as the team at TDS Heavy Towing in New Point for their vigilance and acts as Good Samaritans.
Said Harter, “This case is a great example of a member of the community seeing something that seems out of place, reporting it, and allowing law enforcement to intervene in criminal activity. I am grateful to live in a community with that kind of neighbor.”