Greenfield man sentenced to prison for assault on a peace officer

A Greenfield man was sentenced recently to over a year in prison after pleading guilty to assault on a peace officer.

Dylan Downs, 27, was indicted by a Highland County grand jury on the fourth-degree felony count in February. According to court records, Downs pleaded guilty to the charge April 9. 

The indictment accused Downs of “knowingly causing or attempting to cause physical harm to … a peace officer” on or about Dec. 8. As noted by Highland County assistant prosecutor Adam King, Downs was under community control for an unrelated drug possession charge at the time the offense allegedly occurred.

King outlined the allegations of the offense at sentencing, saying that a police officer responded to Downs’ residence, where Downs was allegedly “uncooperative” and “resisted” an attempted arrest.

“A struggle eventually ensued between the defendant and [the officer],” King alleged during sentencing. “During that process, the defendant shoved [the officer] backward off of a porch, which caused the officer to fall to the ground.”

Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss sentenced Downs to one year in prison, with jail time credit of one day. For the previous drug possession case — a fifth-degree felony conviction for aggravated possession of methamphetamine — Coss revoked community control and sentenced Downs to an additional nine months of prison, consecutive to the assault sentence, for a total of 21 months in prison.

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