Batavia Township man indicted for felonious assault following alleged shooting incident

Tanner Thornhill, 20, of Batavia Township was indicted March 12 in connection with a shooting incident that allegedly occurred March 7 in Clermont County.

A Clermont County grand jury returned an indictment on Thornhill for the following charges:

• One count of felonious assault, a felony of the second degree;

• One count of using weapons while intoxicated, a misdemeanor of the first degree;

• One count of endangering children, a misdemeanor of the first degree; and

• One count of improperly handing a firearm in a motor vehicle, a felony of the fifth degree.

On March 7 at 12:37 a.m., the Clermont County Communications Center received multiple 911 calls for shots fired in the parking lot of 600 University Lane, at an apartment complex in Batavia Township. Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies responded to the area at 12:40 a.m., where they were able to identify and secure a suspect without incident. The suspect was identified as Thornhill, a resident of the complex.

Deputies secured the scene and located multiple witnesses before contacting the sheriff’s office investigative unit. Detectives arrived a short time later to process the scene and interview witnesses.

Detectives were told the shooting allegedly stemmed from an argument over a car accident, which had just occurred down the street where Thornhill had allegedly crashed a vehicle while driving home. Although no one was shot during the incident, it was alleged that Thornhill had pointed a firearm, threatened and discharged several rounds toward others on the scene.

Several pieces of evidence, including spent shell casings and the firearm allegedly used during the incident, were located, processed and secured as evidence. Thornhill was arrested at the scene without incident. 

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