A Jasonville man, accused of taking a substantial amount of money from a parent and threatening to do harm to them with a razor knife, was first detained in Regional Hospital then arrested and booked in to the Greene County Jail last Saturday, March 9, on preliminary charges of armed robbery, theft, intimidation and resisting law enforcement.

Shannon Ray Anderson, 37, Jasonville, was taken into custody by Jasonville Police Officer Brian Pilant after a warrant was issued for Anderson’s arrest on March 6.

The criminal charges came as a result of an incident that occurred on Tuesday, February 12.

Jasonville Police Officer Ryan Van Horn, the investigating officer, responded when a woman came to the Jasonville Police Department around 4 p.m. to report her son, Shannon Anderson, had threatened her with a razor knife and taken approximately $8-9,000 from her. She said Anderson had mental problems and had not been on his medication.

When Officer Van Horn arrived at the woman’s residence, she waited outside while he checked the house. He reported encountering Anderson walking very slowly from a side room into the kitchen to face Van Horn. Anderson had his head down and was grunting and breathing heavily. Van Horn said Anderson was armed with a razor knife with a blade approximately 6 inches long with the blade extended approximately 3 inches. He advised Anderson to drop the knife and get on the ground. Despite multiple commands, Anderson refused and told the officer to shoot him.

When JPD Officer Brian Pilant arrived, both were telling Anderson to drop the knife and get on the ground, to no avail. Officer Pilant deployed his Taser which was ineffective due to a large coat Anderson was wearing. Officer Van Horn then deployed his Taser, which also had no effect. Officer Pilant fired again striking Anderson in the legs which dropped Anderson to the ground, but he still had the knife in his hand. After Officer Van Horn fired again, Anderson let go of the knife.

Anderson was secured and personnel from the Greene County Ambulance Service arrived to remove the Taser probes then transport Anderson to Regional Hospital in Terre Haute for an immediate detention. Officer Van Horn rode with Anderson in the ambulance.

When Officer Van Horn later interviewed the parent, she described unusual behavior that had gotten progressively worse over a period of several weeks. This culminated on the day she went to the police department. She described Anderson threatening to do her harm and taking money from her then taking her cell phone away to prevent her from making a phone call. When she was able to get into her car and drive away, she drove straight to the police station.

It is unknown how long Anderson received treatment in Regional Hospital but on Tuesday, March 5, a criminal case was filed against him in Greene Circuit Court. A warrant for his arrest was issued the next day.

Anderson’s bond was set at $30,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. Later the same day as his arrest, he posted $3,000 cash and was released.

Anderson is scheduled to appear in court for an initial hearing on Thursday, March 14, when he will be formally charged with:

Armed robbery – taking property by force or threatening use of force while armed, a Level 3 felony,
Theft – where value of property is between $750 and $50,000, a Level 6 felony,
Intimidation – where defendant draws or uses a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony, and
Resisting law enforcement – knowingly or intentionally forcibly resists, a Class A misdemeanor.