Dispute over the potato salad erupts into physical altercation

A man arrested for battery and disorderly conduct told a deputy a dispute over potato salad led to the fight.

John Thomas Rogers

John Thomas Rogers, 27, Linton, was charged with domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct – engaged in fighting or tumultuous conduct, a Class B misdemeanor, when he appeared in Greene Superior Court last Thursday, May 28.

Rogers was arrested by Deputy Davis Aerne of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department early Sunday, May 17, after Deputy Aerne was dispatched to a residence on County Road W. 60 N. when a resident called the sheriff’s department around 5:30 a.m.

The caller said a family member, Rogers, woke him up saying he was in a fight and lost his glasses. The caller said another family member and her boyfriend were also involved in the fight and were laying on concrete.

When Deputy Aerne arrived, one man was sitting shirtless in the road, a woman was standing next to him, Rogers was also standing in the road and several people were sitting on the front porch. The woman had a laceration on her knee from falling, the man had dried blood on his stomach but no sign of injury and said he had a bad reaction to tequila.

While Deputy Aerne was talking to two people, Rogers was yelling at another person on the porch. He said Rogers appeared to be intoxicated.

In a probable cause affidavit, Deputy Aerne detailed the conversations with the various people who were there, and the various explanations of what had caused an altercation and who did what, when. One said Rogers was punching a bedroom door, another said nobody hit anyone and he and Rogers were just rolling down a hill. Rogers said there was a dispute over the potato salad.

Deputy Aerne wrote that he walked Rogers back to the residence and advised him to just go inside and go to bed and not cause any more issues.

But, while Deputy Aerne was walking back to his patrol vehicle, a woman yelled and when the deputy turned around, he saw Rogers with his arms wrapped around another man, placing the man in a head lock, and someone else trying to pull Rogers off.

Rogers was then taken into custody and on the ride to jail, Rogers allegedly said that man had it coming.

Rogers also said he’s blind in one eye and needs glasses to see and he didn’t know where they were.

Rogers was booked in around 6:36 a.m.

After transferring Rogers into the custody of jail officers, Deputy Aerne returned to the residence to try to locate the glasses. Someone found them on a table and Deputy Aerne transported them to the jail so Rogers would have his glasses.

Bond was set at $1,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $100 and was released later the same day.  

Rogers was also arrested in February - click on “John Thomas Rogers” tag below this story to read the previous story.