CASTLE ROCK — A longtime resident and businessman was sentenced Friday to 736 years in prison for pinning down police officers in the dark of night as he fired continual rounds from an AK-47 at them.
Lonnie James Pebley, 43, who was found guilty in February of 15 counts of attempted first-degree murder and 12 counts of first-degree assault impassively took notes as Judge Paul King announced the centuries-long term.
“Mr. Pebley attempted to kill as many police officers as he possibly could,” said King, handing down the sentence.
The judge talked about recent multiple cases of police abuse of power across the country and noted: “This case is the polar opposite.”
By law statute, the multiple counts of attempted murder and assault were required to be handed down consecutively, not concurrently.
As King handed down the sentence, Pebley, dressed in a white shirt with a tie, didn’t look up or at the more than 20 family members and friends who packed the courtroom.
About a dozen spoke on Pebley’s behalf, describing him as a kind, caring husband, father and family man who also served the community through charitable acts, including doing excavation work for Habitat for Humanity.
Pebley also addressed the court, reading from a prepared statement.
He too asked for leniency, noting that his family has been devastated by the July 4, 2012, incident, which prosectors and police described as being in a “war zone.”
Investigators said Pebley fired between 80 and 100 rounds.
“I thank Jesus no one was injured,” Pebley told the court. During his trial, Pebley said he did not remember the evening’s events, and his defense attorney said Pebley suffered from a mix of taking prescribed arthritis medicine and drinking alcohol.
Several officers, including some who were pinned down in the driveway, testified, asking the court for the maximum sentence.
Officers testified that as bullets whizzed by them, hitting patrol vehicles and kicking up dirt around their feet, they envisioned the worst, that their lives were about to end.
“I often wonder how no one was injured or killed,” said Douglas County Sheriff’s deputy Joe Spezzano.
Officers described the incident as an “ambush” and Pebley as a “coward” who attempted to flee on foot in the dark.
The sheriff’s office SWAT team used a “Bear Cat,” a bullet resistent military vehicle, to extract and protect the officers .
“Justice has been served,” said Mark Hurlbert, second-in-command of the Arapahoe and Douglas county district attorney’s office. “It is a huge sentence, a unique sentence, a just sentence.”
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or
