Catawba County Man Gets Prison Sentence For Assaulting Police Officer

52-year-old Richard David Miller, Jr. of Claremont, was sentenced to serve seven to nine years in prison following his conviction for resisting a public officer, causing serious bodily injury and admission of his habitual felon status. He entered a guilty plea during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, (March 24). The Honorable Karen Eady-Williams, Superior Court Judge from Mecklenburg County, imposed terms of the active sentence for Miller on Wednesday.

The defendant, who entered the guilty plea on the day the trial was scheduled to begin, will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections. Miller’s sentence length was enhanced by prior felony convictions for breaking & entering in Catawba County (August 2019) and Iredell County (January 2009 and September 2003).
The offense, which involved Catawba Police Chief Brian Bixby, took place on September 26, 2023. Knowing that Miller had an outstanding charge for resisting an officer, Bixby made contact with the defendant at a gas station in Catawba. During the interaction, Miller provided a false name, and Bixby attempted to arrest him.

The defendant shoved Bixby and fled the scene across an intersection on foot. As he ran away, Miller dropped a box cutter. During the pursuit, Bixby suffered a fall that caused severe injuries to his left arm that required surgery to repair.

Miller eventually was apprehended by deputies and arrested. The incident was captured by Bixby’s body camera. Joshua Rector was the lead investigator for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Howard Wellons prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Meredith Scott.