A 20-year-old man gets 20 years in prison for shooting a Louisville Police Officer.
In his testimony, officer Lamont Washington said he will never forget standing feet from the man who nearly took his life. "February 24 of 2012, I had two bullets put in me by this person," he said. "This is something that sits with me every day."
"I went through 4 months and a week of very painful rehabilitation. The first round went through my thumb and destroyed the bone in the center. The second one missed. The third went through my badge and through my vest, went into me a half an inch," he explained. "It was right on my subclavian artery so had it gone in any further and God not been with me I would have bled out from this."
Washington responded to a home invasion near Churchill Downs, where he encountered the youngest of three teen suspects Diontre Martin. Police say Martin fired the shots that hit the officer as he ran away from the robbery.
Martin's family stepped up one by one, in tears, begging the court for mercy. "I will dedicate the rest of my life trying to make sure he is steered in the right direction," Martin's Mother told the court.
Martin already pleaded guilty, but could get probation because he was a minor at the time of the shooting.
"I want to sincerely apologize to the police force and officer Washington," Martin told the court. "My actions was inappropriate and dangerous and under the influence I wasn't in the right mind state."
Outside the courtroom there was a surprising show of compassion as Washington and his mother cried together with Martin's family.
"He was just sorry that all this transpired the way it did," Casey Martin said. "I'm just a father speaking for my son and he wasn't raised like that and we hate it for both sides."
Officer Washington says he has forgiven and now he has closure.
"The finality of what could have happened to me was just an inch or so from going the other way," Washington said after the hearing. "I think 20 years was just."
The other two suspects from the night officer Washington was shot both took plea deals on lesser robbery charges. Prosecutors say Dominique Gosnell will serve 17 years in prison.
Donald Jackson just agreed to terms this morning giving Washington a 13-thousand dollar check for restitution. He faces 10 years in prison at sentencing next month.