Jimmy Earl Hendricks, 26, of Franklin, was convicted by a jury Tuesday of the offenses of Level 3 Felony Dealing Methamphetamine, Level 5 Felony Possession of Methamphetamine, Level 6 Felony Unlawful Possession Of a Syringe, Class A Misdemeanor Carrying a Handgun Without a License, and Class A Misdemeanor Resisting Law Enforcement.
The case originated around 3:00 a.m. on June 11, 2020, when Shelbyville Police Department officer Jared Scudder noticed Hendricks and another man walking very animated, appearing that they were about to fight. He pulled up to check on them, and Hendricks was immediately abrasive with Officer Scudder. While Scudder spoke with the other man, Hendricks turned his back to Scudder and was reaching to his waist area. Fearing that Hendricks was pulling a gun, Officer Scudder pulled his gun on Hendricks and ordered him to show his hands. Hendricks pulled a pistol from his waist and ran behind a nearby house, where, to his dismay, he found that two sides of the yard were covered by a high privacy fence, and the third side had a chain-link fence containing three aggressive dogs. He ran back out of the front of the house after tossing a fully-loaded 9 mm Smith and Wesson pistol (and a fully-loaded extra magazine). As he emerged from behind the house, SPD Officer Buckley pulled his taser and ordered Hendricks to stop. Hendricks then tripped to the ground over his pants, which had fallen down.
Hendricks was also found to have extra 9 mm ammunition, digital scales, 10 small bindles of methamphetamine, and one larger bindle of methamphetamine - totaling just under two grams. He also had what appeared to be spice, as well as some crushed pills, which were packaged to appear like heroin.
Prosecutor Brad Landwerlen prosecuted the case and called seven witnesses during the two-day trial. The jury deliberated about 30 minutes before finding Hendricks guilty as charged on all counts. Hendricks then admitted to being an habitual felony offender, and will face up to 26 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 4.
Landwerlen added, "As an interesting side-note, after the verdict, two members of the jury specifically noted to officer Scudder that police officers don't get the recognition that they deserve and thanked Officer Scudder (and the other officers involved) for his service, and the entire jury followed this mention of appreciation with a unanimous round of applause. Many don't appreciate how dangerous police work is - even in a small town like Shelbyville. Bigtime thanks to SPD officers Scudder, Buckley, Conway, Shriver, Lt. Walton, and Detective Holmes for their work in securing justice in this case."
