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Man gets 40 years for attempted murder of Ind. cop

Zachary Buza, 20, was convicted of shooting at an Indiana State Police trooper from the window of a home

By Lisa Trigg
The Tribune-Star

ROSEDALE, Ind. — A former Terre Haute man convicted of attempted murder for shooting at police has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Zachary Buza, 20, was convicted in February of shooting at an Indiana State Police trooper from the window of a Rosedale home following a domestic dispute in July 2012.

Buza appeared in Parke Circuit Court on Friday for sentencing on four criminal convictions in the case.

Judge Sam Swaim sentenced Buza to 34 years in prison for attempted murder. Four years of that sentence are to be suspended to probation.

Buza received a six-year sentence, concurrent to the attempted murder conviction, for a class-C felony count of criminal recklessness. On a second count of criminal recklessness, Buza received a sixyear sentence to be served consecutively to the other two sentences, with two years suspended to probation.

Judge Swaim also sentenced Buza to 180 days in jail for the misdemeanor battery resulting in bodily injury conviction, and ordered that sentence already served by giving Buza credit for 90 days he spent in jail awaiting trial.

Buza received another 146 days credit toward the attempted murder conviction.

The total prison time amounts to 40 years, with six years suspended to probation.

Buza has been held in the Parke County Jail at Rockville since the July 22 incident at his then-girlfriend’s home in Rosedale. Buza was arrested after shooting a rifle at police who responded to a report of a domestic dispute.

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