Anderson man sentenced to 52.5 years in prison stemming from August 2020 shooting

Jun. 10—ANDERSON — An Anderson man has been sentenced to 52.5 years in prison following a May conviction on an attempted murder charge and found to be an habitual offender.

Madison Circuit Court Division 6 Judge Mark Dudley on Friday sentenced Toriono Johnson, 44, of Anderson, to a sentence of 35 years on the attempted murder conviction. He enhanced the sentence by 17.5 years on the habitual offender conviction.

Dudley ordered all 52.5 years to be served in the Indiana Department of Corrections.

Johnson was arrested by Anderson police in August 2020 in connection with a shooting near the intersection of 16th Street and Madison Avenue.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Anderson Police Department Detective Norman Rayford, upon arriving at the scene, police saw a man fire shots at a truck driven by Aaron Boyd, who suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder. A passenger in the truck was not injured.

APD Officer Gabe Bailey fired a round at the suspect "in defense of two victims" who were inside the truck, according to a press release. The suspect was not struck by Bailey's gunfire, according to a press release from the Anderson Police Department.

Officers chased the suspect on foot and saw him jump over a fence in the 1600 block of Hendricks Street. The suspect evaded officers. But, in the backyard, they found two bags containing marijuana, a loaded revolver and a pair of peach-colored shorts.

Later that day, Capt. Mike Lee was conducting a search of the area and overheard Johnson, who was speaking to a woman in a nearby alley, say "my shorts were peach, so they should be easy to find."

Lee then approached Johnson and identified himself as a police officer, according to the affidavit.

Without provocation, Johnson then told Lee that "all I did was stand my ground. I didn't do anything wrong," the affidavit states. Johnson was then placed under arrest.

Police said hundreds of people were gathered in the vicinity of 16th Street and Madison Avenue at the time Boyd was shot and that at least three people discharged firearms.

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