A man who was shot in an ongoing dispute between residents of two rural Greenwood homes has been charged with a felony and is being watched by jail guards during his recovery after threatening to kill his neighbor.
Jeffrey S. Weigle, 59, was charged with criminal recklessness, and the sheriff’s office is investigating the threats he made against his neighbor, Dean Keller, who shot him.
Earlier this month, the prosecutor decided Keller will not face a charge in the shooting, since he acted in self defense.
Weigle, who is recovering at a rehabilitational facility, was charged in the shooting incident. Police had said Weigle pulled out his gun first, aiming it at Keller, and both fired at each other. Weigle was struck four times in the chest, and Keller was not struck.
Weigle is recovering from his injuries, and jail employees are watching him at the rehabilitational facility, Sheriff Doug Cox said.
This week, a relative of the owner of the home where Weigle had been staying told police that Weigle had threatened to go back to the home and kill Keller, according to police reports.
The prosecutor’s office then filed the criminal recklessness charge against Weigle and issued a warrant for his arrest. Cox decided to station a jail guard with Weigle to keep people safe, he said.
“My job is to protect the public,” Cox said.
He doesn’t know how long Weigle will be at the facility and guards will need to be stationed there. But that is the cost to keep people safe, and that is important, especially after an incident in the spring where a man released by police at the hospital when he was unfit to be taken to jail robbed and confined two Franklin residents in their home.
The sheriff’s office also is investigating the threats Weigle made against Keller, but no charge has been filed, Cox said.
Weigle and Keller have had an ongoing dispute with multiple calls to the homes on Campbell Road since 2009. The neighbors have disputed over animals being on each other’s property and a fence between the properties. Weigle doesn’t own the property but stays at the home.
Last month, Keller shot Weigle after Weigle pulled out a gun and aimed it at Keller while mowing the lawn. Keller, who had a camera outside that caught video of the confrontation, fired at Weigle, striking him in the chest four times. Weigle fired at Keller, but Keller was not struck.
