A man was sentenced to 36 years in prison Friday, minutes after he asked a federal judge for the maximum sentence of 60 years for assaulting two librarians and a case manager at Supermax in Florence.
“I deserve another life sentence,” said Ishmael Petty, who is already serving a life sentence for killing his 71-year-old cellmate at a federal prison in Louisiana. “I was undercharged.”
In July, Petty was each of assault, resisting and impeding a federal employee following a two-day trial.
On Sept. 11, 2013, Petty attacked the three Federal Bureau of Prisons employees at Administrative Maximum Security Penitentiary — known as Supermax or ADX — in Florence.
Petty’s seemingly bold plea for the maximum sentence was undercut, however, by the fact that any additional prison sentence would not add any time because of his prior life sentence.
Federal prosecutor Colleen Covell explained to Judge Philip Brimmer during the sentencing hearing that the U.S. Attorney’s office had initially declined to prosecute Petty because he was already serving a life sentence but prison officials convinced prosecutors to go forward.
“Inmates need to know there are consequences for their actions,” said ADX case manager Deedee Mcevoy, who testified at Petty’s sentencing hearing Friday.
Brimmer said Mcevoy, who came to the assistance of librarians Ralph Smith and Brianne Smith when Petty attacked them, was exceptionally brave. Ralph Smith and Brianne Smith are not related.
Petty, decked out in self-made body armor made of cardboard-like material, hid behind his cell door and attacked the federal employees with a shank, or homemade knife. He wrestled batons away from the prison employees and began pummeling Ralph Smith.
At his sentencing, Petty gave a rambling explanation of his motive for trying to kill three correctional officers and what ultimately made him change his mind. He said when Brianne Smith stuck out her arm to block the baton when he was swinging at Ralph Smith’s ” it reminded him of a girl trying to save her father.
“The only reason that Mr. Smith, Ms. Smith and Ms. Mcevoy are alive today is she raised her arm,” Petty said. “That’s what got me out of that zone.”
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, kmitchell@denverpost.com or @kirkmitchell or denverpost.com/coldcases
