‘Mental Health issue’ cited as Washbourne offers guilty plea in attack on neighbor Norman Shiflett

Two cases of public interest were in Warren County Circuit Court on Friday, June 23, on the morning docket. Those were in the Assault and Batter, Personal Cruelty cases against former Hilda J. Barbour pre-school teacher Kayla Ann Bennett (see related story), and the Unlawful Wounding case against Troy Allan Washbourne involving an attack on former Front Royal Police Chief Norman Shiflett.

In the latter case, after a break to review statutory guidelines applicable to a plea agreement, Washbourne pleads guilty to one felony count of Unlawful Wounding. After reviewing the parameters of the plea agreement with the defendant, Judge Daryl Funk sentenced Washbourne to 12 months in jail, all suspended; 24 months of supervised probation; and restitution of $658 for out-of-pocket medical expenses incurred by Shiflett at Warren Memorial Hospital as a result of his neighbor’s June 1, 2022 attack while Shiflett was walking his dog.

Troy A. Washbourne – Photo RSW Jail website

Parameters of the agreement include that Washboure remains on prescribed medication for what was described as “a mental health issue” and remains on good behavior for the three-year period of the suspended sentence and period of supervised probation. At the end of that period, if he complies with the agreement’s conditions, breaking no laws during that period, the felony charge of Unlawful Wounding will be reduced to a misdemeanor count of the same charge.

Commonwealth’s Attorney John Bell told the court that Shiflett was on board with the plea agreement and had been more concerned with the general public safety than what had specifically happened to him in that encounter with an un-medicated Washbourne. His injuries after being confronted by Washbourne, who accused Shiflett of “spreading lies about me,” included “a small fracture of the orbital bone” around his eye. Bell told the court that Shiflett described his neighbor as “a gentle giant” when taking prescribed medication as directed.

The report of responding FRPD Officer R.A. Martin noted that multiple witnesses on the scene verified Shiflett’s account of the attack and identification of Washbourne as the attacker, who had re-entered his car and drove away after the attack. Martin wrote that when he arrived at the Washbourne residence, he spoke to Mrs. Washbourne, who told him her husband “has been suffering from significant paranoia but refuses to seek mental health services.” Officer Martin reported that when talking to Mr. Washbourne, he “continued to speak about how everyone is talking about him and spreading rumors.”

The court wished the defendant well in complying with the plea agreement conditions and set a date in June 2026 to review that compliance and hopefully the reduction of the charge against him to misdemeanor status.

Retired police chief assaulted in town