The crop duster pilot told investigators he was treating two adjoining fields when he heard what sounded like a “pop” come from the aircraft.
DOVER, Ind. — A 41-year-old Indiana farmer has been charged after authorities say he fired at a crop-dusting plane as it flew near his Boone County property in July 2025.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office opened the investigation on July 18, 2025, after a pilot hired for aerial spraying reported that someone had shot the aircraft over the 1600 block of 900 West, near State Roads 32 and 75 in Boone County.
The “pop”
According to court records, the pilot said he was spraying two connected fields around 6:30 p.m. when he heard the noise and then felt feedback in the right rudder controls. He also reported that the plane’s air conditioning stopped working and that he noticed an unusual odor, though the aircraft’s other systems appeared to remain operational.
Despite the incident, court documents state the pilot finished spraying the fields assigned for the day before returning to Paris, Illinois, where the company stores its aircraft. After landing, he found what he described as a “bullet entry hole” on the right side of the plane’s fuselage.
As detectives continued their investigation, they interviewed the owner of the aerial spraying company. He told investigators he had been contacted by a representative of Keystone Cooperative, which had hired the company to carry out the spraying work.
“They’re lucky I’m not a better shot”
Court documents say the representative reported receiving a call from a 41-year-old farmer, later identified as Kedrick Miller, who was “irate about the spraying” and claimed he had a “no fly zone” over his land. Investigators said the farmer was referring to a “drift notice,” a measure intended to help protect property from spray drift.
The crop duster pilot told authorities he had turned off the sprayers while flying over Miller’s property, according to court documents.
Detectives spoke with the Keystone Cooperative representative three days after the shooting. Court documents detail that the representative told officials he received a call from Miller, who he said “cussed a lot” and made the comment, “they’re lucky I’m not a better shot” before hanging up the phone.
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Detained
On July 29, 2025, the sheriff’s office executed a search warrant at the farmer’s address and detained Miller, who allegedly tried to leave the home, according to court documents.
Officials said they found several guns, ammunition and magazines inside of the home while they executed the search warrant.
“Made statements about shooting at the crop dusters in the past”
That same day, court documents reveal that officials spoke with Miller’s ex-wife since her children were present at the time of the man’s detainment.
She told detectives that Miller “has had issues with crop dusters around the property.” Court documents say she told officials they had the drift notice placed on the property in the past to try and stop crop dusters from flying overhead because it could cause the goats they had to “experience pregnancy loss due to the amount of stress that occurs.”
While she said she had never seen him shoot at a crop duster, the ex-wife told detectives that Miller “made statements about shooting at the crop dusters in the past,” according to court documents.
In 2022, she recalled Miller holding up a rifle at an overhead aircraft and said she “stood between him and the aircraft and told him that he was being ignorant to try and get him to put the rifle down,” according to court documents.
Facing charges
According to court documents, prosecutors charged Miller on Aug. 5, 2026, with the following:
- Attempted murder – Level 1 felony
- Disrupting the operation of an aircraft using force, violence or threats – Level 4 felony
- Criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon – Level 5 felony
- Intimidation with a deadly weapon – Level 5 felony
Boone County Sheriff Tony Harris provided the statement below following the shooting:
“This case serves as a reminder that decisions made in the heat of the moment can have serious and lasting consequences. Any time a firearm is intentionally discharged at an occupied aircraft, it creates an extremely dangerous situation with the potential for catastrophic consequences. Pilots operating agricultural aircraft provide an important service to our farming community and deserve to do their jobs without being placed in harm’s way. The alleged actions in this case presented a significant risk not only to the pilot, but to anyone on the ground who could have been affected if that aircraft had been forced down or a bullet had gone astray.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were notified of the shooting and worked with the sheriff’s office during the investigation.
