Pasco sentenced to prison for assault
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When alcohol and a firearm mix, there are consequences.
"This could have been an extremely tragic situation," said Assistant Prosecutor Joe Derkin in Washington County Common Pleas Court Wednesday. "The amount of stupidity to shoot a gun at a car, it could have ended the lives of everyone in that car."
That stance was echoed by the ruling of Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi Wednesday despite a passionate victim impact statement from the girlfriend, and one of the four victims, of Kristopher T. Pasco, 28, of 711 Zanesville St. Beverly.
Pasco was sentenced to an indefinite prison term Wednesday after previously pleading guilty to one of the seven criminal indictments he faced from a Washington County grand jury last year.
Pasco initially faced the following counts when indicted in October:
¯ Four second-degree felonious assault counts.
¯ One first-degree misdemeanor count of carrying or use of weapons while intoxicated.
¯ One third-degree felony count of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises.
¯ One first-degree misdemeanor count of domestic violence.
Through a plea agreement with the prosecutor's office, Pasco is to serve a minimum of two years in prison, with the maximum extension of that sentence for up to a third year if deemed necessary by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections and conducive with Pasco's behavior while in state custody.
Pasco was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,500 to Dustin Harlow, owner of the truck which he admitted to shooting upon last year.
Dustin Harlow, Jeremy Harlow and Ashley Yoho were not present for Pasco's sentencing, though all were listed victim's alongside Josie Johnson who chose to speak in court Wednesday.
"Kristopher is the biological dad of my youngest child and the only dad my oldest child has. I have been engaged to Kristopher for the past year and been in a relationship with him for three years now," she began. "I'm so sorry that the incident that I was involved in happened."
According to reports from the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Beverly Police Department, Johnson had called Jeremy Harlow, telling him that Pasco was intoxicated, was threatening her and scaring her.
When the Harlow brothers and Yoho arrived to pick up Johnson, according to law enforcement, Pasco told them to leave his home.
"Alcohol is such an underrated drug and unfortunately I got to experience the effects of it firsthand," she told Kerenyi Wednesday. "There is no doubt Kristopher and I enjoyed (drinking) but we didn't realize it was a problem until it was too late."
Johnson's statement continued with her taking partial responsibility, in her words, for the altercations which led to the eventual discharge of a Hi-Point 9-millimeter handgun multiple times into the tailgate of Dustin Harlow's truck.
According to police reports, both Harlows and Yoho refused to leave, fearing for Johnson's safety and that Johnson went running out of the home yelling that Pasco had a gun.
As the four ran to the truck, Jeremy fell and cut himself.
"He shot at them, if the bullet in the tailgate had been aimed any higher he could have killed someone," said Derkin following the sentencing.
Pasco also spoke during his sentencing stating he was sorry that the incident occurred.
Johnson said she looked forward to their sober life together after he gets out of prison.