Man pleads in deputy shooting

A Carson City man pleaded guilty Monday to battery with a deadly weapon in the shooting of a sheriff's deputy Feb. 1.

In exchange for the plea, a charge of attempted murder was dismissed against Mark Daniel Fiddler.

Fiddler, 50, shot Carson City Sheriff's Deputy Josh Stagliano in the wrist during the execution of a drug search warrant at Fiddler's Fall Street home.

According to court records, officers executed the search warrant based on information that another occupant of the house, Lillian Meyer, was selling methamphetamine from the residence.

Twenty minutes after witnessing someone pull up in Fiddler's truck and enter the home, members of the Carson City Sheriff's Special Enforcement Team, with support from patrol deputies including Stagliano, knocked on the door and announced who they were and that they had a warrant. When no one came to the door, officers used a battering ram to gain entry.

According to Stagliano's testimony during a preliminary hearing, once officers got inside Meyer and another male found in the living room were ordered to the ground. When Stagliano went to secure a rear bedroom, Fiddler emerged from the darkness and fired a single .22-caliber rifle round, striking Stagliano in the wrist.

Fiddler claimed he was sleeping and that he awoke to loud noises and reached for his gun, said a news release from the Carson City District Attorney's Office.

In his first appearance in court, Fiddler stated, "This is all a mistake. I didn't know it was sheriffs in my house."

No drugs were ever found in the home. Meyer, 43, was recently sentenced to 12 to 34 months in prison for possession of a controlled substance relating to a drug deal with an informant, which led to the search warrant.

Stagliano, who remains on light duty with the sheriffs department, said prosecutors consulted with him throughout the negotiations and he is comfortable with the plea agreement.

He is scheduled to undergo a second surgery on his wrist and attends physical therapy three days a week.

"Right now I have a significant loss of motion and I'm going to have a lifetime of wrist problems," he said.

The prosecution and defense agreed to recommend a sentence of eight years in prison with minimum parole eligibility after three years.

Battery with a deadly weapon carries a potential sentence of two to 10 years in prison.

"After carefully reviewing the facts and circumstances of the case, we believe this is an appropriate resolution," said Assistant District Attorney Gerald Gardner, who handled the case.

"I spoke with Deputy Stagliano before we entered into this negotiation and he expressed his support for the guilty plea and sentencing recommendation," said District Attorney Neil Rombardo. "As I have said before, this case illustrates what the methamphetamine culture is doing to Carson City. We need to do everything in our power to continue battling this epidemic,"

• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.