Sat Nov 07 2009
By Vince Tweddell
State Journal Staff Writer
Not often do people come to blows over 50 bucks. Even rarer is a man chasing after another and cutting him with a chainsaw for that amount of cash.
But Robert Rogers, 34, pleaded guilty to just that Friday in Franklin Circuit Court, admitting to a second-degree assault charge that he cut Dennis Harris, 27, with his chainsaw during a disagreement over $50 last August.
Franklin County Commonwealths Attorney Larry Cleveland said both men were working on different job sites in the Heritage subdivision, when the two ran into each other. Tempers flared when Harris asked Rogers about money he said he was owed from a previous stump removal job, Cleveland said.
Initially, the two exchanged heated words and punches, but then Rogers got his chainsaw, fired it up and chased after Harris, who then jumped in his pickup and frantically tried to start it.
But he couldnt get it started before Rogers made it to him because the rigged-up starting mechanism Harris said he used a screwdriver to start the vehicle wouldnt work, Cleveland said.
At the truck, Rogers chopped with the chainsaw through the open window, trying to cut Harris, who jumped to the other side and avoided the chainsaw, Cleveland said. When Harris got out of the way, Rogers swung with the chainsaw on the trucks window ledge, and took out what Cleveland described as a big chunk of the door frame.
The pursuit wasnt over yet, as Harris got out of the truck and tried to crawl under it, out of harms way. He did get under the truck, but Cleveland said he got stuck on something and Rogers was able to reach him with the chainsaw and cut him on the arm. The assault ended when bystanders threw a stick or something at Rogers and broke it up, Cleveland said.
Rogers sentencing will be in late May or early June, Cleveland said. According to Cleveland, his was a blind plea, which allows for the judge to set the punishment without the recommendation of the commonwealths attorney.
Responding with a running chainsaw to someones fist, its a bit extreme, Cleveland said of the case. (Harris) asked him (for the money) on the wrong day, I guess.
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