A New Florence man was sentenced yesterday for assaulting an officer in an incident in Seward in 2021.
39-year-old Ray Shetler, Jr. will serve one to two years in prison and two years of probation upon his release for charges of aggravated assault, disarming a police officer and resisting arrest. Authorities were trying to serve a warrant on Shetler on December 7th of 2021 for missing a probation revocation hearing. When officers and sheriff’s deputies found him at a mobile home, he fought back and head-butted Deputy Irvin Shipley, who suffered a concussion and injuries to his shoulder. During the fight, Shetler was shot in the eye with a taser.
Shetler claimed that he acted in self-defense during the fight, claiming the officers were getting retribution for his involvement in the 2015 fatal shooting of St. Clair Township police officer Lloyd Reed in New Florence. In that trial, he was found not guilty of killing Reed, but he was found guilty of stealing a vehicle he used in his getaway. He could face a potential new sentence for violating the terms of his probation.
For the sentencing in this case, Shetler was given credit for 399 days already served and is already eligible for parole.
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