Lima man sentenced to prison after shooting at man

LIMA — A Lima man was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison Wednesday for a felonious assault charge that was a result of shooting at someone in June.

Before sentencing in Allen County Common Pleas Court, Dustin Jamison, 31, read a letter he wrote in which he apologized and said he understood what he did was wrong. He said he had no intention of causing physical harm to anyone and felt threatened in the moment.

He became emotional when he discussed the impact being in jail had on him because he couldn’t see his kids in person and said he wouldn’t touch a gun again or do anything to keep him away from his kids again.

Judge Terri Kohlrieser said the road the incident occurred is highly traveled, and Jamison is lucky someone didn’t get shot.

“Self-defense or being scared doesn’t legally give anyone the right to start firing,” Kohlrieser said.

Court documents said Lima police responded to the 300 block of South Cole Street on June 4 after Jamison shot at his girlfriend’s child’s father. Jamison said he felt threatened after a verbal argument with the child’s father because the man reached toward his vehicle’s glove compartment, so Jamison started shooting into the air and above the car.

Police recovered a handgun from the front seat of Jamison’s vehicle, and four bullets matching the caliber of the gun were located on a lawn on South Cole Street.

Allen County Assistant Prosecutor Colleen Limerick previously said Jamison also had an AR-15 rifle that he left the scene with, and it was found buried at Faurot Park.

Reach Charlotte Caldwell at 567-242-0451.