Man sentenced to 5 years in Bartholomew County deputy battery

A man accused of battering a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputy is heading to prison.

According to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, Pongi Peden was stopped by deputies near West Goeller Boulevard and Jonathan Moore Pike in June of last year. Police say that he refused to comply with their orders and during the scuffle struck a deputy. He was also found to be driving under the influence.

Prosecutors say that Peden was charged with battery against a public safety official, resisting law enforcement and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin recently sentenced Peden on all three counts and he will serve five years in the Indiana Department of Corrections system.