A pre-dawn confrontation over an unpaid debt on Columbus’s Charwood Drive ended with a 25-year-old man facing felony charges after deputies say he pointed a handgun at another man and tried to force him into a vehicle. Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 3:42 a.m. last Saturday to the 3200 block of Charwood Drive, near Carr Hill Road, after a report of a battery involving a firearm.
The victim had gone to the area to repay an outstanding debt when the two became involved in a physical altercation, according to sheriff’s office details relayed by The Republic. Deputies say Colin D. Spaeth pointed a handgun at the victim, ordering him to get into a vehicle before the victim managed to break away and contact police. Deputies later documented visible injuries to the victim’s head, back, and torso, the outlet reported.
Investigators identified the suspect as Spaeth, a 25-year-old Columbus resident. Deputies located him at an apartment building in the area and took him into custody, according to WISH-TV, which reported the three charges Spaeth now faces. He was subsequently booked into the Bartholomew County Jail.
Charges Carry Years in Prison if Proven
Spaeth faces intimidation with a deadly weapon, pointing a firearm, and battery causing injury, per WISH-TV’s report. Under Indiana Code § 35-45-2-1, intimidation becomes a Level 5 felony — rather than a Class A misdemeanor — when a deadly weapon is drawn or used, carrying a potential prison term of one to six years and fines up to $10,000, according to a legal explainer from Keffer Hirschauer LLP.
Separately, Indiana Code § 35-47-4-3 classifies knowingly or intentionally pointing a loaded firearm at another person as a Level 6 felony, punishable by six months to two and a half years in prison, whereas pointing an unloaded gun is only a Class A misdemeanor, according to The Criminal Defense Team. The battery charge also carries its own tiers under Indiana Code § 35-42-2-1: simple battery is normally a Class B misdemeanor, but it rises to a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail when it causes bodily injury or pain, and to a Level 6 felony if moderate bodily injury results, per a breakdown from Kaushal Law LLC. The severity of the injuries deputies documented on the victim could factor into which tier ultimately applies.
Suspect Held at County Jail
Spaeth remains in custody on bond at the Bartholomew County Jail. The jail is at 543 Second Street in downtown Columbus, according to a facility listing from Jail411. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office is headed by Sheriff Chris Lane and has worked with the Columbus Police Department.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office has worked with the Columbus Police Department.
Several details remain unresolved, including the exact amount or nature of the debt the victim says he went to repay, whether deputies recovered the handgun during Spaeth’s arrest, and the formal bond amount set by the court. It is also not yet clear whether the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office has filed formal charges. All charges described in this case remain preliminary allegations unless and until they are formally filed and proven in court.
